It's Not Over
by whitexbliss
Summary: Tragedy strikes Miley's life in the worst of ways... love is what saves her from hell and may just be the one thing to pull her from darkness.
1. Prologue

_Hey all. All right. This is my first Hannah Montana fanfiction. This is my first attempt at one so we'll see how it goes. My teenage cousin (I'm 23) only recently introduced me to the show and it has become my guilty pleasure. While watching "The End of Jake, as we Know It" it made me, well, I was disappointed. Jake is a real sweetheart and he didn't deserve the send off he got. So, I got inspired to write. This is loosely based on a personal experience. _

_This obviously takes place after the season 4 episode "End of Jake as We Know It" Miley and Jake are devastated over the break up. Jake feels as if he's made the biggest mistake in his life and Miley feels like a fool. It's a tale of breaking up and learning how to trust again. _

_Please let me know what you think and whether or not I should continue it. _

It's Not Over

**Jake's POV. **

_Before you go, tell me this: Was it worth it? Was she worth this?_

"No." I mumbled to myself as I turned off the radio station as I drove through the streets of Toronto, Ontario. "Taylor, why do you let me down?"

I laughed to myself as I shook my head. I was a wreck and officially losing my mind. It had been a year since I made the horrid decision to act like a careless frat boy and lost the greatest thing to have happen to me. That entire time I was gone I was horrible to Miley. I barely called, never responded to my e-mails... Nothing. I acted how I wanted, did my own thing and never stopped twice to think about how she felt. After all, I'm Jake Ryan. Everyone knows the world revolves around Jake Ryan.

That was the problem. I loved Miley with every fiber of my being; however, I loved Jake Ryan more than her. My ego destroyed that aspect of my life.

I pulled into the set along Harborfront where I was set to star in my latest project, a music video. Some pop star was shooting their video for a song called "I'll Always Remember You". I originally wanted to decline it but my persistent agent left me with no choice. It was either this or a cat food commercial. Yeah, depression sometimes causes the downfall of even the most popular actors.

That was my wake up call. I had been on set for the motion picture version of the Twilight Saga's New Moon (I was supposed to play vampire Alec of the Volturi) and I had a nervous breakdown on set. Hollywood and my so-called fans turned on me. I was the latest "hot mess" and was promptly fired from the film. My career was just about over. My agent swore this music video would revitalize my career. To be honest though, I didn't really care. What good was a successful career if you had no one special to share your success with?

I pulled my Porsche into a parking spot and slowly opened the door. A swarm of paparazzi swiftly met me. My once squeaky-clean image was tarnished by tabloid stories of desperation, drugs, strippers and an addiction to painkillers. My life appeared to mirror Lindsay Lohan - yet not a word of it was true.

I was just empty.

I ignored the paparazzi the best I could as I slowly made my way towards my trailer. The bodyguards surrounding the set were able to free me from the vampiric "photographers", something I was thankful for. In the distance, I heard the director yell ACTION. A beautiful melody filled the air as a smile crept across my face. It reminded me of all the times Miley would play guitar as she spilt her heart out into her lyrics.

_I always knew this day would come... We'd be standing one by one with our future in our hands…So many dreams, so many plans_

I came to a sudden halt as my heart stopped. I knew that angelic voice anywhere - Miley.

I spun around towards the music and sure enough, sitting on the pier overlooking the lake was Hannah Montana. I watched as she lip-synched so elegantly - she was feeling every word like it was the last thing to escape from those beautiful lips. The world around me faded…

Destiny had brought me here.


	2. Chapter 1

_I hope everyone enjoyed the first part. I know it was stupidly short but I needed to just set the scene. My chapters will generally be longer. I hope you all enjoy! :)_

_Btw, I named Oliver's drummer Leland after the actor who played him. I could not find his name in the show anywhere. _

**It's Not Over**

**Chapter 1**

Miley's POV.

_I was young and in love, I gave you everything but it wasn't enough_

_Too Little, Too Late – JoJo_

"Cut!"

I smiled and walked off set towards Lilly (dressed as Lola, of course), who was still ooing over the engagement ring Oliver had given her last night before leaving for another tour. I was happy for her but I could not shake the pain that had worked its way into my heart. Everyone had always expected Jake and me to be the first ones engaged. Now, thanks to him and his selfish stupidity, we are not even together.

I quickly wiped a tear from my eye and grabbed a sandwich off the catering table before heading into wardrobe.

"Hannah!" The director called out to be. I quickly spun around and flashed him the famous smile. "We're going to get you into the beach soon to start filming the couple scenes."

Great. Just what I wanted to do! Not! I could barely deal with to goo goo talk generating from the excess of happy _in love_ couples around me, now I have to act all mushy with some jerk of an actor! I hate actors. They're all selfish and self-centered. It's not like I have much of a choice.

"Great!" I exclaimed forcefully, "I can't wait!"

"Fantastic!" He clapped his hands together happily, as he walked away. "I can hear the excitement of the fans now... A happy reunion between Hannah Montana and Jake Ryan! I'm genius!"

I froze. Jake Ryan? Tell me he was talking about another Jake Ryan. My head began to spin rapidly. Why would my father do this to me? He would never let that weasel near his daughter again, he promised me this would never happen!

"Daddy!" I shouted as I felt a panic attack come on

"Come here baby girl," my dad said as he wrapped his arms around me. "I just heard myself. I had no idea he was going to be your co-star. Let me go talk to the director and we'll get this whole thing sorted out. You and Lola just go to your trailer and I'll handle this."

Dad handed me off to Lola who had to practically carry me as tears flowed from my eyes. We maybe got three feet before my Aunt Dolly stopped us.

"Robby Ray, you will do no such thing!"

"What?" Lola, my dad and I shouted in unison.

"I went through a lot of work to get that boy on set and I am not about to let y'all ruin that!" She stated firmly

I looked at her in disbelief. "You did this? Why? You know..."

"I know what happened sweet pea and I will admit he deserves a swift beating but you don't see what I do." She sighed heavily as she silenced my father who was obviously protesting the idea. "Hannah hasn't been the same fun loving girl that her fans are used too and Jake, the poor boys career is pretty much over. You both need a sense of closure or you're just going to stay in a rut."

"What do you mean his career is pretty much over?"

Everyone looked at me with a look that clearly stated they were all hiding something from me. I made it my mission to avoid any news about Jake but they knew I would have wanted to know about something serious.

"Well?"

"He was set to play a member of the Volturi in The Twilight Saga and while on set, he saw Kristen and Rob back stage sharing a private moment and had a meltdown. He hasn't been able to get a role since. The tabloids are saying that he's doing drugs, partying all night and addicted to pain killers." Lola whispered just loud enough for me to hear.

"Mikayla was talking to me backstage at one of her concerts and she told me that she had kept in touch with Jake. She didn't believe anything that was being said in the tabloids so when she asked him about it he said he just missed you so much that seeing Rob and Kristen together in a loving way triggered something in him." Aunt Dolly looked at me as I processed the information she had given to me. "The boy has suffered a great deal for what he did to you. Karma cost him his career, the very thing he always put above you. It is time you both get some closure."

"I don't care what that boy has gone through-"

"Daddy, don't," I whispered with my head looking at the floor. "Aunt Dolly is right. I never wanted Jake to suffer this bad. I will do the video, maybe then we will know some peace. Lord knows I need it."

"Baby girl are you sure?" My dad asked sympathetically. I was almost sure he was glaring at my Aunt Dolly. "You don't have to do anything for that two timing weasel."

"Daddy, I know and yeah, I'm sure."

I didn't even bother to wait for a response from anyone. I just walked straight to my trailer and slammed the door shut. How was I going to act all romantic and sweet with Jake after everything that has happened between us? Yeah, I will admit it, I still loved him fiercely but he broke my heart, again. I sighed and looked in the mirror. I was a professional, well for the most part at least. Sure, I beat the snot out of him during my Holiday Special but that was right after finding out; no one in his or her right mind would be able to remain professional.

I could not believe what had happen to Jake over the last year or so. He was on top of the world and now he was barely a blimp on the screen. Was it karma, the result of a guilty conscience or both? I was leaning towards both.

My thought was shattered by a knock on the door. I sighed in frustration - I figured Lilly would understand that I wanted some time on my own.

I opened the door hastily, about to yell at my best friend when I came face to face with Jake.

Jake's POV

I had been walking towards the beach when I overheard the argument between Hannah, Lola, her dad and a blonde woman who looked like Dolly Parton. Hannah was visibly upset over the fact that I was there, which I understood. What surprised me though was when Lola had to fill her in on my spiral downfall as an actor - she hide from any mention of me. I felt a twinge of guilt in my stomach at that thought. She tried to erase me from her life. Maybe she would have been better off choosing Jessie when she had the chance.

I watched as she stormed off with tears in her eyes towards her trailer. I waited patiently for someone to follow her but everyone was giving her space, which I knew was what she needed. I also knew that she and I would be unable to work together unless we cleared the air a little bit. I spent a few moments in an internal struggle before I finally made my way towards her trailer. I was roughly ten feet from my destination when I felt a hand grab my wrist.

"Jake," it was Lola, "you're not doing what I think you're going too are you?"

I studied her face she looked almost sympathetic. I nodded my head slowly, taking note of her eyes finding the floor.

"I have too," I whispered with a shaky voice. "She and I won't be able to do what we need too without talking first."

"She's still really heartbroken by what you did to her. She loved you so much and you just..."

I grabbed Lola by her shoulders and looked in her eyes, cutting her off from an insane tyrant of words.

"I know what I did to her and I am not here to beg for forgiveness or another chance. I know that it is not going to happen nor do I expect it too but I do know Mi... Hannah well enough to know she won't be able to do her job properly until we have had a chance to talk."

"Why did you take this role?" Her voice was filled with annoyance.

"I didn't know it was her," I answered simply. "My agent muttered something about Mikayla but I'm not sure. I never imagined it was Hannah."

Lola searched my face again, no doubt looking for even a small hint of a lie. She sighed and turned to walk away. She came to a halt quickly and looked over her shoulder.

"Don't hurt her anymore. I'll personally see to your death if you do."

"Never again." I muttered to myself before looking up at the trailer. "It's now or never."

I walked over to the door of the trailer and took a deep breath. I slowly knocked on the door and heard her sigh of frustration. I considered running, however, before I could make that decision, the door swung open and a very annoyed, upset and pissed off (how could I forget gorgeous) Hannah Montana.

We stood there for what seemed like forever (in reality it was only a few seconds) just staring at each other, unsure of what to say or how to react.

"Hi," I finally whispered

Before I could say anything else, my face encountered Hannah's hand; and it hurt.

"I deserve that."

"You deserve a whole heck of a lot more than that, _Leslie_!"

"Then do it," I said holding my arms out away from my body. "Kick my ass. I deserve it."

She stared at me for a moment before turning into her trailer, leaving the door open behind her. I slowly followed her in, careful of my every move. She sat in her chair in front of her mirror while I took a seat on the floor in the corner by the door. She took notice of me in the mirror and I could see her smirk in the reflection - breath taking.

"I have other chairs you know," she said with a sense of humor in her voice. "You don't have to sit on the floor. God, I'd never thought I'd see the day when Jake Ryan sat on the floor of a trailer."

My eyes gaze met the floor.

"Well, sometimes people change."

"And sometimes people aren't who you ever expected them to be."

I cringed. I may have deserved that comment but it still stung. "I'm so so-"

"Save it." Her voice was cold and laced with venom.

She turned her chair around to face me; her face was serious, deadly even. She stared at me but I never met her gaze for fear of what I may find in them. Time seemed to stand still in that small trailer as the air became so thick that you could cut it like a knife.

"Why?"

My head shot up at the sound of her voice. She sounded devastated. Tears filled her perfect blue eyes causing my own heart to break.

"Why did you do it Jake? I loved you so fucking much and that is how you repay me?" The tears were now flowing freely. "I hadn't seen you for months and I remained loyal to you. I had the opportunity to do it to you and did I? No. I loved you far too much to cause you that pain. Do you remember how it felt when you walked on me telling Jessie that I wanted to kiss him?"

I fought back my own tears as I looked at her. I was no longer staring at the pop star but my Miley. The girl I loved more than anything else in the world - including Jake Ryan. Too little, too late I suppose.

"It broke my heart," I managed to force out; "I couldn't understand how you could want to kiss someone else when you were with me." Problem is I _did_ do something. Had I seen her kissing Jessie, I know the pain would have been so much worse.

"You have no idea how much it hurt when I saw that picture." She was now sitting on the floor about five feet away from me with her knees folded to her chest, "I always thought you were the one."

A fresh batch of tears flowed from our eyes. I wanted to curl up into a ball and die.

"Why did you do it?" She finally said her voice cracking. She looked at me with pleading eyes that made me want to wrap my arms around her and tell her everything would be okay.

I sighed. "We had all been drinking and Oliver's drummer Leland had all of us surrounded by these sorority girls. They apparently dared me to lick salt of that chick and someone took the picture. That was all that happened."

"What do you mean they _apparently_ dared you?" She spat

"I didn't remember anything the next morning. My bodyguard got me out of there as soon as he saw what was going on," I ran my hand through my short dark hair then leaned my head on the wall behind me. "I received a text message the next morning from Leland with the picture and a message that it was sent to Oliver."

"Bullshit you didn't remember." Her voice was laced with venom. "That's the oldest excuse in the book."

I shook my head with a solemn look on my face. "I know you'll never believe me but it's the truth. Ask little drummer boy one day. He'll probably find it amusing."

There was a long silence between us. Neither one of us sure of what to say or do. I could hear her sniffles every now and then.

"Look, Jake, no matter what you say to me, I am never coming back to you," she whispered with a voice that made it seem her heart was breaking with every word. "What you did to me hurt more than anything you could ever imagine. You are your ego destroyed everything. Drunk or not, _Jessie_ would have never done what you did. I chose you because I thought you would always be there for me. You know, Jessie would have made me his world. Something you never -"

"You were my world, Miley." I whispered quietly as I stood up. "You still are. Do you that if you didn't mean the world to me that my career would be in danger? No, it would not. I would have never had a total breakdown on a set; I would have never hid myself away from the world. Yes, once upon a time, I was all about Jake Ryan but then he became all about Miley Stewart. I have not stopped loving you, Miley and I never will. You were it for me and no one will ever take your place. Yes, I was a total jackass by cheating on you and I know being drunk isn't an excuse but that never changed how I felt about you."

"Jake-" she said, standing up.

"No, Miley, let me finish," I said cutting her off as I took a small box out of my jacket pocket and placed it on the table beside me. "You and I were something incredible -"

"Jake, what is that?" Miley asked pointing at the box on the table.

"Your eighteenth birthday present, I bought that the night before the whole incident." I replied. "I was going to declare my love for you in front of all your friends and family then I would have gotten down on one knee and propose to you. It's just a stupid ring now but I want you to have it. I carried it around with me everywhere I went since the day I bought it. You can throw it out, sell it or smash it I don't care. I'll never stop loving you, Miley."

I walked up to her and kissed her on the top of her head, savoring her smell. I quickly pulled away from her and walked to the door. I paused with my hand on the handle and took a deep breath. This was going to be the hardest thing I have ever done but it would be the best for her.

"To prove to you that you have always been the world to me, I am leaving."

"What? You can't! You need thi-"

I turned to face her. She was standing directly behind me with pleading eyes. I swallowed hard, sending my pride and any selfish feelings down with it and cupped her face with my hands. She was trembling under my touch.

"I know my career needs this, no one knows that better than me. But I also know how hard it would be for you to do this so I am leaving. I would rather my career be over than to put you through any more pain." I brushed my lips against her sweetly as a tear fell from my face. I never wanted this moment to end but I knew it had too. "Goodbye Miley."

_There you have it. A longer chapter and a sort of cliffy. Please read and review! _


	3. Chapter 2

_There is a link to the incredibly beautiful ring on my blog! My blog for this fic can be found http:/ white x bliss . blogspot . com (no spaces). There you will also be able to find pictures of Tiny and Leland. I will occasionally be posting images relating to this fic on there… I will let you know when to look. I was considering posting a listing of songs used in relation for this fic – what do you guys think?_

_Be sure to check that out! _

_A special shout out too rabbitx14 who was my very first reviewer! She writes an awesome fic for Twilight called "What Do You Want from Me?" that I started reading last night… great so far and I really hope she continues it._

_I would also like to give a shout out to Brucus224 and Miley Cyrus Can't Be Tamed for their reviews/favorite adds/alerts. Thanks a lot! I have personally PM each of you._

**Chapter 2**

_**Miley's POV**_

_Just gonna stand there and watch me burn. But that's alright because I like the way it hurts_

"_Love The Way You Lie" – Eminem feat Rihanna_

I watched as Jake walked from the trailer. My first instinct was to stop him but my head told me to let him go. A mix of emotions flowed through me like an electric shock. Anger, shock, love... those were just the beginning. Jake had just given up the chance to revitalize his career to spare me from pain. He _had_ changed. I felt my lips; they were still tingling from the heavenly kiss. He still loved me he still wanted me. I knew I could never take him back. For one, I don't think I could ever fully trust him again. Secondly, I was in another relationship with Leland who had been there for me pretty much from the moment Jake and I broke up. Nevertheless, I did not love him, not as I loved... no, love Jake. Leland would never hurt me though. Not like Jake did to me by cheating.

I finally snapped out of my trance and grabbed my cell phone. I dialed Jake's cell phone number but he didn't answer. I dialed again and got nothing.

"Damn you, Leslie!" I snarled. I then dialed Lilly's number who quickly answered. "Code red."

I quickly hung up the phone and threw it onto the table. My eyes then caught site of the small velvet blue ring box. I could not believe he was going to propose in front of everyone on my eighteenth birthday... I slowly opened the box and my sucked in my breath. It was simply the most breath-taking piece of jewelry I have ever laid eyes on. It was a platinum pear shaped ring with a massive pear shaped diamond in the centre. What was incredible was the fact that there was a pink rose shape diamond inside of the larger pear shaped one. The sides weaved in and out of each other and were elegantly decorated with a minimum of four hundred round diamonds. I remember seeing this very ring while shopping for Lilly's birthday gift in De Beers with Jake before he left for Phoenix. I had fallen in love with it but I never knew Jake saw me admiring it.

I had been so lost in thought that I failed to hear the door to my trailer open. Lola was now standing beside me gawking at the ring.

"Ohmygod!" She squealed happily. "Did Leland propose?"

I shook my head no.

"Did he send to you?"

I shook my head no again.

"A secret admirier with killer taste?"

I shook my head no for a third time.

"Then where on earth did you get that beautiful thing?"

"Jake." It was then I snapped out of my trance. "Oh god, Jake!"

I shut the box, grabbed my wig and ran from the trailer towards the parking lot. Lola followed right behind me.

"Why are we chasing Jake? What's with the ring?"

When we finally made it took the parking lot, we got there with enough time to see Jake look back at us through his rearview mirror. I ran my hands through my hair in fustration and cursed under my breath.

"What is going on?" Lola asked completely lost in her surroundings.

Before I could respond, my phone went off to alert me that I had a new text message. It was from Jake.

_Miley, I'm not coming back. Cing the pain in ur eyes 2day tore me up n I cnt hndle causing u nemore. I'll manage somehow n if this is the end of my career then least I kno I was able 2 say I luv u 1 lst time._

"Fuck, Jake!" I shouted. Lola grabbed my phone and read the message. "He's not coming back." Tears were now building in my eyes.

"What happened in there?" Lola asked as the director approached us. "Crazy man five o'clock."

"Tell me that wasn't Jake Ryan who just drove off." He said with a stern voice

"Okay, I won't tell you then." I stated

"I don't believe this!" He shouted, walking away from us. "Get the studio on the phone!"

"Why did Jake just leave like that?" Aunt Dolly asked walking towards us with my father behind her. "What happened sugar baby?"

"Did that weasle hurt you again?" My dad asked pradictiably

I shook my head. "That's why he left. He sacrificed his career to make sure I didn't have to go through any pain."

A smile spread across Aunt Dolly's face while my dad and Lola shared one of total shock. Aunt Dolly made her way to her car and headed of into the direction that Jake sped off in.

"He must be sick," my father mumbled as he walked back to the main set to talk to the director. "Or dying."

"Are you ever going to tell me what's going on? Lola asked.

"What do you want to know?" I asked walking towards the trailer.

"Everything! What did you talk about? What's with the ring? What is this about sacrificing his career?" Lola was talking so fast that I'm amazed she could breathe.

I let her into the trailer and took my wig off. We both sat down with a can of diet pepsi and got into girl mode. I explained everything for her from the very beginning. Following filling her in she sat there completely dumbfounded. I let her sort out the information and waited paitently for her babble.

"He was going to propose? That's why you have the ring. He still loves you, kissed you and wants to sacrifice his career so he can't hurt you anymore. He was at the club in Pheonix and got drunk with sorority girls and Leland... Wait!" She shouted suddenly, surprising me. "Leland!"

I raised my eyebrow. "What about him?"

She stood up, acting as if she was having an epiphany. "He said Leland had them surrounded by girls, right?" I nodded. "Leland is the one who took the picture and sent it too Oliver knowing it would get back to you."

"Okay..." I said, not following her.

"Oliver told me Leland always had a huge crush on you and was always insanely jealous of Jake," she continued as she continyed to pace around the trailer. "Jake has never been the club type but I remember Oliver telling me that Leland invited Jake out knowing he was in Phoenix to try to put all bitterness behind them."

"No!" I shouted shaking my head. "You're not suggesting..."

"I know he's your boyfriend now, Miles but isn't it a little bit odd that he barely spoke to you before you broke up with Jake then he was suddenly Mr. Supportive? If I remember correctly, him and that guitarist were making fun of you a little over a year ago calling you an 'ugly Hannah Montana' because you have simular faces but different hair. Remember?"

My eyes widened in shock. "You're right! I remember! That stupid S.O.B! Do you think he set up Jake?"

"Possible but we've seen Jake drunk before," she stated refurring back to Jackson's birthday two years ago. "His judgement is really good."

"You're right." I whispered, thinking back to that night. "We were all drunk and I wanted to sleep with him. He told me he wanted too but he didn't want our first time to be like that."

"Exactly!" Lola exclaimed. "Jake is a lot of things but I never imagined him as a cheater. That boy loves you far too much to do that to you."

"But he did."

"Maybe he was drugged?" I raised an eyebrow at her. "Ketamine or GHB are easy enough to slip into his beer."

I shook my head. This was far too much for me. Leland was a bit of an ass at times but he was a man after all. Why would he go through all that trouble and risk being caught and thrown in jail over me especially if he showed no interest in me prior to Jake and me breaking up? Something in all of this was not adding up. I needed to get more information. I couldn't exactly ask Leland without him suspecting that I suspect him, Oliver wasn't at the club when this all happened and I had no idea who any of the girls were. I sat there for a moment before it dawned on me; Jake's bodyguard pulled him out of the club when he saw what Jake had been doing.

"I'm going to call Tiny, Jakes old primary guard. See if he was on duty."

"What are you going to do with Leland?"

I shrugged. "Depends on what we find out. If he drugged Jake then I am so done with him."

"What about Jake?"

"I don't know." I replied simply. "Regardless of how it happened, it happened. I'll be hurting a long time from it."

She nodded as she handed me my phone. I searched my phone until I found the number I was looking for and pressed talk.

"Tiny." A husky voice answered

"Tiny, hi," I said quietly. "It's Miley Stewart. How are you?"

"What do you want Miss Stewart?" His voice was angry, venemous. I cringed. He probably still hated me.

"I know you're pissed about what happened with Jake but I need your help. If you help me, I'll get you a job with Hannah Montana until Jake is in need of protection. It's about Jake."

"What's going on?" His voice changed to concerned. I smiled, Tiny always treated Jake as if he was his son.

"What happened in Pheonix at that club?"

"Why do you suddenly care?"

I explained to him what happened with Jake and I that morning and the epiphany Lilly (he didn't know Lola was Lilly or that I was Hannah) had about Leland.

"Stupid little drummer boy," he growled. "I was on break and before I left, everything was fine. Leland brought everyone some Coronas. When I came back, he was licking the salt off that girl's neck. I got him out of there. He was really out of it. I thought it was just the booze. When he told me those were the saltest Corona's he's ever a few days after y'all broke up I had him to a doctor. There was still small traces of GHB left in his system." My eyes widened in shock and I leaned against the wall for support. "I suggested he tell you but he refused. He said it was no excuse for what he did. We tried tracking down those girls with no avail. We never suspected it was Leland."

Tears were now running down my face. "Thank you, Tiny. I'll get you in touch with Miss Montana's people as soon as possible. I have to get going, I have to sort some stuff out."

"Of course Miss Stewart."

I hung up the phone and looked at Lilly. She wrapped her arms around me, letting her blonde hair fall over my shoulders. I sobbed into her shoulder for a moment. I pulled away from her and looked her in the eyes.

"We have to get to the Molson Ampetheatre," she nodded, knowing Oliver's band was performing there tonight and were probably in rehersals or a meet'n'greet. "I need to talk to Leland."

Lilly put her wig back on, as did I and looked out the door. No one was around now. We took our heels off and ran as fast as we could to my dad's rental about fifteen feet from the trailer. I slid into the driver's seat and got out of there as fast as I could push the engine. We drove along the Lakeshore in silence, hoping we went the right way. We noticed Ontario Place a head of us and hurried into the parking lot. We pulled into a spot right by the ampetheatre. We pulled off our wigs and slowly got out of the car. We made our way to the guards and they swiftly let us in. Anthony, the head of guard led us backstage to where the band was. Anthony and Lilly were lost in conversation that I was tuning out. Once we were with the band, Lilly jumped into Oliver's arms and started whispering in his ear about something. I saw his eyes go from happy to mad, to upset to downright pissed.

"Hey Oliver, where's Leland?" I asked quietly, suddenly feeling very off about something. Oliver nodded towards a room. "Thanks."

I made my waytowards the room and I could hear laughter. I opened the door and saw Leland making out with the definition of a groupie. He glanced over at me, pulled away from the girl, and whispered something to her. She walked out of the room in a huff. I was burning with furry.

"What the hell is going on here?" I shouted

He laughed. "What does it look like? I am having some fun. It's one of theperks of being famous, something you would know nothing about."

_If you only knew._ I shook my head, wanting to kick his ass but I knew it wasn't worth it. "You went through all that trouble of drugging Jake to get us to break up and won me over, I'm surprised you're jeaprodising this relationship."

He smirked at me and shook his head. "So you figured it out then. I had a thousand bucks on getting you to go out with me onthe line. Iknew I stood no chance with lover boy in the way. Best grand I ever made."

"You stupid son of a bitch!" I shouted. "You cost me everything! We are SO done!"

Proud of myself, I turned to walk out the door when a sharp pain flowed through my scalp. He grabbed my hair and pulled me back into the room. I went to scream out but his hand viciously covered my mouth.

"You see, Miley, you really think I am just going to admit to something like that and let you go running back to him?" He then used his other hand to grasp my throat. "It's going to work like this, you're going to let go of all of this. You're going to pretend nothing happened because if you do they all die. Starting with Jake, understand?"

I nodded through tears. I could not tell and be subjected a relationship of abuse or I could tell and risk Jake's life. Sure, Jake cheated on me but he doesn't deserve to die.

He sacrificed his career so I will sacrifice my freedom.

_So Leland is the bad guy! What will happen with Miley's relationship with him play out? What about Jake? _

_Since I updated it so early today, don't expect another update tonight. I am a professional photographer and have some editing to catch up on. Also, look for a new banner that will be coming shortly._

_Please R&R. _


	4. Chapter 3: Part One

_You may have noticed the rating of this story has changed to 'M' and that is primarily because of the many parts of this chapter. Chapter 3 will be divided into at least 3 parts. This is the first part._

_I do warn you, the ending is a bit violent. The real ending has been posted on my blog, the reason for this is because it is far too violent and graphic for and I don't want people reading the full graphic version without the warning. There will be a reminder at the end of this part._

_This chapter was very hard for me to write. It took me a long time to get through it but I am now glad that it is done. This story does have a very dark side but this is as bad as it gets through these parts. This story will only get lighter once Chapter 3 is done in its entirety. It is based on a true story and a great deal of the events, which conspire in this chapter as a whole, has occurred in my life and the lives of people I know. I don't take this sort of thing lightly. _

_Please read and review. It would mean a lot to me. Chapter 3 part 2 will be up sometime tonight or possibly tomorrow afternoon._

_If you want to see what Jake Car and/or house looks likes, please visit my blog. http: / white x bliss . blogspot . com (no spaces) or follow the link on my profile. Skip __**PAST **__the outtake to see it._

**Chapter 3  
Part 1**

_**Jake's POV**_

_If I had you that would be the only thing, I'd ever need. If I had you then money, fame and fortune never could compete_

- If I Had You by Adam Lambert

_Five Months Later. _

I pulled into the driveway of my Muskoka, Ontario hideaway and shut off the engine to my 2011 Dodge Journey. I recently sold all my more expensive luxuries; the cars, the mansions, the island but I kept the jet (which I rented out on occasion) and bought myself my only other luxury, a home on a quiet lake in Bala, a small town in the Muskoka's. I loved the solitude away from the world – a constant reminder of Hannah Montana.

A beautiful, large orange, red wood and brick 5-bedroom mansion had an oriental feel to it. It had two and a half floors, the top "half" floor reserved for the master suite, which in itself was a thousand square feet. It had its own fireplace, bathroom, two walk in closets, deck and gazebo. The deck and gazebo faced the water and covered the length of the building. The second floor has three bedrooms while the main floor had the other bedroom, kitchen, dining room and a massive great room. My favorite aspect of the interior, aside from the master suite, is the indoor pond located beside the central staircase. There was something so tranquil about it. The outside deck was massive. It was home to the pool, hot tub and an ample amount of space. It is big enough to easily accommodate a small Wedding Reception. Most of the deck has an incredible view of the waterfront. Just to the side of the deck were the gardens. This was the entire reason I bought this place; I made the decision before I even stepped inside the doors. Something about it reminded me of a conversation Miley and I had years ago. We were just discussing the future and she said one thing she disliked about Malibu was that she could never find a property with gardens that made her feel like she was one with nature. There were award-winning gardens in Malibu but none had real nature surrounding them. It seemed as if everything I did always had her in it one way or another. Funny how love makes you do that. I would spend hours in these gardens just relaxing, reading, even playing guitar. It was my piece of heaven and it could never quite feel complete without Miley.

I walked into the cottage and went straight to the master suite. I started to change out of my sweats and t-shirt (perfect gym attire) into just a pair of board shorts when I heard my laptop chiming. I threw my shirt aside and opened my Macbook Pro. I opened Thunderbird and nearly fell off the bed. There was an e-mail from Robby Ray Stewart. I clicked open and began to read.

_Jake,_

_I am not sure if you still use this e-mail but Tiny gave it to me once we discovered your numbers were disconnected and that you moved from Malibu. _

_Lilly, Oliver and Tiny have filled me in on what happened in Phoenix. I still do not forgive you for what you have done to my baby girl but right now, you may just be the only person who can help us now. A lot has happened since you left. I am not sure if Miley told you but she had just started dating Leland._

"What?" I said to myself in disbelief. "Miley and Leland? He can't stand her!" I shook my head and kept reading.

_It was not really a relationship. They just went out a few times. He was really pushing it but she did not really seem interested. When you left the set that day Lilly and her went to confront Leland about the incident - that is when it all changed. Lilly told me she went to talk to him and came out crying. Since then she has been nothing but "totally subservient" (Lilly's words) to Leland. Anytime I see her she looks scared, lost and broken hearted. _

_She left Malibu a week following that day to move to Toronto with him. Something we all know is not something she would ever do. She left everything at home and I only see her once a month. _

"Oh god..." I whispered. "Oh Miley, what is he doing to you?"

_We need your help. We cannot find her anywhere. We have been searching for months. Toronto is a massive city with many sub-cities. Leland left the band shortly after Miley left to join a band with Jessie but we have not been able to get of him as of yet. I will keep trying. We have all e-mailed her but she swears to us she is happy and to respect her wishes. I am not sure what you can do but please try._

_E-mail me back with your e-mail and/or phone number. _

_Thank you_

_Robby Ray Stewart_

Toronto? He was right; the GTA was a massive area. Miley was there somewhere and I was the closest to her. I did not even bother e-mailing him back. I jumped off the bed and starting packing a bag. I don't know what he was doing to her but it could not be good. Miley loved her family and hated being away from them. The behavior of hers was completely out of character for her. I shook my head as images of what that bastard could be doing to her right now to make her like this.

I grabbed my bags, keys, wallet and phone and bolted down the stairs. I opened the back door leading towards my car and jumped back when I noticed Lilly standing there about to knock.

She stared at me for a moment, eyeing me up and down. I looked down, realizing I was still in my sweat pants and no shirt. I blushed and turned around to grab a t-shirt I had in the living room. It was my favorite one; a "Zombie Slayer Sux" she got for me when we first started dating when we were fourteen. I pulled it over my head and went back to Lilly whose eyes nearly bugged out of her head.

"You OK?" I asked snapping her out of her trance

"Been working out?" She whispered embarrassed. "You're giving Taylor Lautner a run for his money."

I laughed. Since I left, I had been spending seven days a week in the gym in Bracebridge, often for three or four hours a day. It then dawned on me; there was no way for Lilly to know where I am living.

"What are you doing here?" I asked her looking into my backyard. She had been driving a rental smart car. Oliver, Jackson and Miley's dad were nowhere to be seen.

"I have spent weeks trying to find you," she spoke quickly in a panic, "there was no sign of Jake Ryan anywhere. I read Miley's diary for some sign or clue to find you and I read your real name is Leslie. I then searched Leslie Ryan and found this place. I was so worried it was not you. We need-"

"I know," I cut her off as I headed to my Crossover. "Miley's dad e-mailed me. I am heading to Toronto now. Use my Mac and see if you can you find her under another name. Try every combination possible of everyone close to her. There's an internet stick on the side so you won't lose a connection."

Lilly nodded as she threw her bag into my massive trunk and jumped into the front seat. We drove in silence for forty five minutes. I broke every possible road law possible but I didn't care, I needed to get to Miley as soon as possible.

"You're living a rather simple life now." Lilly stated breaking the silence. "No fancy cars, sold all your yachts, mansions, everything but the jet. You are no longer dressed in designer duds - I dare to suggest you got your sweats at Wal-Mart and your shoes are totally Reebok. Other then the jet and that gorgeous house back there, which by the way has a fishpond by the front door, you are all simple man. What happened?"

I laughed, only Lilly would bring up something as random as the pond at the main entrance. "I changed, grew up."

"In more ways than one." she whispered. "You've lost any aspect of 'boy' to you. You're all man."

My laugh grew. "Are you flirting with me?"

She blushed violently. "No, it's just... Oh my god! Think I found her!"

I nearly swerved the car off the road scaring Lilly in the process, once I got the car back under control she glared at me.

"Where?" I asked, ignoring the glare.

"There's a Leslie Stewart in Richmond Hill."

_Leslie._ I could not help but smile. If that was Miley, then it was her way of reaching out to me without Leland having any clue whatsoever. She needed me and I was not about to let her down.

"Enter the address into the GPS there," I said pointing to the touch screen, "Then look up their band name and see if they're on tour."

"They are," she answered as she fiddled with my GPS. "They have a show in Hamilton tonight. I already checked."

"Good," I said, my voice serious. "Don't worry, Lilly, we'll get her home no matter what I need to do."

**Miley's POV**

_Can we pretend that airplanes in the night sky are like shooting stars? I could really use a wish right now_

- "Airplanes Part 2" B.O.B feat Hayley Williams & Eminem

I opened my eyes to a splitting headache and cramps that were unbelievable. I was alone - thank god. I sat up and looked down at myself. I was half-naked yet again, my shirt ripped apart in areas. I shook my head and climbed out of bed and into the bathroom for a shower. I turned on the water, stripped down and climbed into the hot water. There was something so relaxing about the heat beating off my body. For a moment, I was free from the hell that had become my life. I was counting down the days until his tour became international. He was sure he had me so afraid that I would stick around and wait for him. As soon as his plane is in the air, I am running like hell. I considered calling the cops but that would just make him come back to the GTA sooner. No, I was not going to risk him getting out on bail.

I heard the front door open and I cringed. I quickly got out of the shower and threw on a pair of skinny jeans and tank top. I sighed as I looked into the mirror; my once long, dark hair was now a burgundy color with blonde streaks and shoulder length. It was how he liked it. I could not stand it. I pulled a baggier T over my head, trying to hide the obvious weight gain. I sighed heavily and walked out of the washroom with a fake smile on my face.

"There you are," Leland snarled at me. "I thought I told you to have my lunch ready for me when I got home."

My eyes quickly glanced at the time. 1:00pm. Shit. I am going to pay for this. Maybe if he wouldn't have his "fun" with me until two am then beat me senseless for refusing to have sex with him - just like I do every time he rips that choice from me.

"I must have lost track of time," I said in a whisper looking at the floor. "I'm sorry."

He backhanded me in the face, sending me into the wall behind me. I stood up quickly knowing if I stay down, he would kick me in the stomach. I could not let him do that to me. He walked up to me with a smirk on his face.

He put his hand on my cheek in what would normally be a loving way that had absolutely no love to it. I knew where this was going. "You can always make it up to me, baby."

"Leland..." I started

"Don't say no to me," he said with a vicious growl. "You know I don't like it when you do."

I looked him in the eye, knowing where this was going to lead me but I did not care. I would lie down and take a lot from him but I would never willingly give him my body and I would always fight him on it.

"Go to hell." I spat at him and kicked him in the balls.

Once he recovered, he grabbed the back of my shirt and pulled me to the floor. He flipped me onto my back and punched me in the face. He ripped off my shirt and came to a sudden halt. _Fuck_.

"You're getting fat." He snarled, grabbing my throat.

"I'm pregnant." I managed to choke out under his grasp.

His eyes went a horrid black, something that will haunt my life forever; that is if I make it out of here alive.

"You're pregnant?"

"Please don't do this..."

He snapped. I prayed that somehow I would make it of this okay. The last thing I whispered before he struck me was _Jake._

_(End of clean -if you want to read the full, graphic versions please do so at my blog. If you do not wish to read the graphic part, the next chapter will be up shortly. Follow the link at the top of this page or on my profile.)_


	5. Chapter 3: Part Two

_For those who stopped reading on and did not continue onto my blog, then you are not missing any information that will not be covered in this chapter. The previous chapter was incredibly difficult for me to sit down and write, as is the following chapter. _

_In addition, this story is generating __**A LOT **__of traffic but not getting any reviews… __**PLEASE **__review! As an incentive for those who do review, from now on, if you leave me a review I will be more than glad to send you a preview of the chapter. While I am glad that it is generating regular, consistent traffic, I want to know what people think. If you do not want to leave a public review, leave me a PM._

_This part is much shorter than the last. A lot of editing went into this so let us hope its all good._

**Chapter 3  
Part 2**

_I will never let you fall. I will stand up with you forever. I'll be there for you through it all. Even if saving you sends me to heaven_

"Your Guardian Angel" – The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus

_**Jake's POV**_

As weird or impossible as it seemed, my heart hurt. Something was gravely wrong with Miley. I have no idea how I knew, I just did. I barely listened too the GPS, I just let my heart guide me. I slammed the car breaks, possibly a little too hard about two blocks away from our destination. Worry, fear and anger began to fill my mind. Lilly pointed to a black SUV sitting about 10 feet a head of us and told me to park behind it. I did as she asked and look completely baffled when Tiny stepped out of the vehicle.

"What's going on?" I asked quietly

"Leland has an obsession with Hannah Montana, practically worships her," she stated as she pulled out Miley's blonde wig. "She's going to be our back up plan if we need her."

I shook my head. "No. I won't let you put yourself in danger."

"She won't have too," Tiny stated through Lilly's open door. "He's not home. He left about ten minutes ago and by the looks of it, he had his concert gear with him."

Lilly nodded. "Thanks Tiny."

I did not have to hear another word. I jumped from the vehicle and walked around to the back. I opened the hatchback trunk, pushed the bags further into the vehicle, and opened up one of many storage compartments. Besides essential car care items hidden within the compartment was a small wooden container. I pulled out my set of keys and unlocked the box. Inside was a black and silver semi-automatic handgun Tiny got for me on my 16th birthday.

"What is that?" Lilly asked in a panicked sushed tone. "Are you crazy? You are eighteen! Do you really want to spend the rest of your life in prison for murder?"

"I'll only use it if I need it." I stated as I strapped the weapon to my shin. "I am getting Miley out of that house tonight or I'll die trying."

I closed the trunk and began to walk towards the house up the street. I was stopped by Lilly who gave me a hug, whispered good luck in my ear and jumped into the car with Tiny. The windows were completely tinted but they left the back windows partially open to listen.

I approached the front door and listened carefully. When I heard nothing I reached for the door handle but the door pushed itself open. I reached into my sweat pants and pulled out the gun. I held it hidden in my right hand against my body as I slowly opened the door. I paused for a moment listening only to hear nothing. I slipped inside and hugged the wall on my right. I cringed at my surroundings. It was decorated for a man with no hint of a woman living there. I continued making my way through the corridor when I nearly tripped. The floor was wet. I looked down to see my foot had caused a streak of blood. I began to panic. I followed the blood until I came across a thicker streak of it coming from a room. I held the gun up cop style just in case as I peered into the room. My heart just about stopped at the site before me.

My precious Miley was lying on the floor naked from the waste down with only her bra ontop. Her torso, neck and legs her horribly brused. There was also a large amount of blood around her thighs. By the looks of it, she was hemorrhaging.

"Oh my god, Miley!"

I nearly dropped the gun and raced to her side. I checked for pulse; I found a very feint one but she was not breathing. I grabbed my cell phone from my now blood soaked pocket and dialed 911. I told them I was with a woman who was severely beaten and appeared to be hemorrhaging with a weak pulse but no breath. I shot the address out; made sure they got it and threw the phone to the side. I ran my hand across Miley's bruised forehead, quickly taking in the multiple bruises on her face and began CPR.

"Come on, baby," I cried out to her as I pumped her chest, "please don't leave me."

Her chest started to move as air got into her lungs. "Jake?" Her voice was feint but she was alive!

"Yes, baby, I'm here." I exclaimed quietly as I kissed her forehead, tears streaming down my face.

"I'm dead," she choked out, "You're not really here."

I brushed a gentle kiss on her lips and ran my hand down her much shorter hair. "I'm really here."

"Pain," she said forcefully. Her eyes suddenly went wide. "The baby?"

I looked at her confused. Then it dawned on me. That is why she was beaten so severely. She was pregnant with Leland's child. The bastard was raping her! I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. That's where the blood was coming from. He was trying to beat both her and that poor innocent child to death. I gripped her hand tenderly and gently kissed her lips again, trying to hide my temble. "The ambulance is on its way. It's going to be OK."

"Too bad by the time they get here it will be too late for both of you." A voice said from the door of the living room. Leland.

My head shot up. Leland was standing there with a smirk on his face, pointing a gun at Miley. Without thinking, I lunged at him, tackling him at knee level. I punched him in the face a few times before he managed to throw me off him and into a mirror; the glass shattered around me, covering my exposed body with tiny, painful cuts. I looked up to find Leland standing over Miley with the gun. I could hear her begging for me as she tried to move. I lunged forward knowing I could never stop him from pulling the trigger but goddamn, I was going to save Miley, even if it cost me my life.

The next thing I remember is the sound of a gunshot.

_Yes, I am cruel leaving you with that cliffhanger! I have been very regular with updates and I hope to have the next part of chapter 3 up tomorrow but I cannot guarantee it. It is already incredibly long (eight pages typed) and covers a lot of ground; plus, it's not even done yet. There is a chance I will break it up but I'm not sure yet. It's going to be in Lilly's POV since Miley and Jake are in situations where it wouldn't make sense if the story was in their POV unless I jumped into the future, and I don't want to do that. For those who have reviewed previously and who review from this point on, will be getting a snippet of the next chapter!_


	6. Chapter 3: Part Three

_Here is the final part of Chapter 3! We finally get to see what happened after the gun shot. This will be my last update for a few days. There is an awesome fair (known as the Canadian National Exhibition) in Toronto this weekend and I'm going there with my husband, son and his family; I also have a Wedding to photograph on Sunday. I will probably have an update for you Monday evening or Tuesday for sure! The last part received the most amount of traffic, favorites, alerts etc but still lacking reviews. Just leave me a quick note and let me know what you think._

_This is the longest one by far (13 pages on word) so it is a long one. This is written in Lilly's POV._

_A special shout out to Brucus and Rabbit who have been reviewing almost every chapter! I really appreciate it!_

**Chapter 3**

**Part 3**

_**Lilly's POV. **_

I watched as Jake approached the house, constantly keeping my eyes peeled incase Leland decided to make a surprise visit home. My nerves were shot, my anxiety was through the roof. My best friend was inside that house and I had no idea of the condition she was in. Miley had always been a very strong woman but with the way she's been acting, it was tough to determain what was really going on. My mind wandered back to that day about five months ago when we were trying film the music video. Something happened inside that dressing room with Leland, I know it did. That's when we lost Miley. In someways I cursed Jake for leaving that day but he was only trying to save Miley pain. I'm sure deep down somewhere he feels regret for leaving now that everything has come to this.

I could not help but smile though; the love that Jake still held for Miley after all these years and through everything they have had to endure. Most men would have given up a long time ago and moved on but not Jake. He gave up his career to try to bring her some peace and happiness and now he was possibly walking into his death; If that is not love than I have no idea what is.

My thought process was cut off when I noticed Jessie approaching the SUV.

"Oh shit!" I exclaimed quietly while Tiny played it cool. We rolled down the window and I flashed Jessie a flirty smile. "Hey Jessie, fancy seeing you here!"

"Lilly?" He sounded surprised to see me. "What on Earth are you doing here?"

"Where did you come from? We have been waiting here to speak to you but we never saw a car pull up." Tiny stated leaning towards to window; it was a smart way to dig for information regarding Leland's whereabouts.

"For me?" Jessie asked, dumbfounded.

"Yeah," I whispered. "We've been on the hunt for Miley."

He looked at us with a confused look on his face. "Miley? Why would she be around here?"

I shot Tiny a knowing look. "Her and Leland have been together for almost eight months now. She moved out here with him about five months ago. You didn't know this?"

He shook his head slowly. "I had no clue. I've seen him with many women but never Miley. That might explain why none of us have ever seen the inside of that house." He ran his hand through his hair. "You think he's hurting her?"

I nodded knowing Jessie would never jeopardize us from saving Miley, even though it didn't work out between them with her as Hannah or Miley, he still cared for her. "Yeah, we do. Miley isn't the type to do what she's done. He's obviously got some control over her."

He nodded then looked around quickly. "Look, Leland and I are leaving in a few to head to Hamilton. When we..."

I look of horror spread across my face. Tiny was already bolting from the car before anything else was said. "Leland is inside?"

"Yeah, we came around back," Jessie said as I jumped from the car and ran towards the house. Jessie grabbed my hand and spun me around to face him. "What the hell are you doing?"

"Jake!" I exclaimed quietly. "He went inside about fifteen minutes after Leland left the first time."

Jessie froze. I looked up and saw that Tiny was about to open the door. I could only pray Tiny would get to them before it was too late.

It was at that moment that world around me stopped turning. The unmistakable sound of a gun shot broke the silence from inside the house. Everything after that was pretty much a blur.

Jessie grabbed me and sheilding my body with his incase any bullets came flying from the house. We heard the sound of the door being smashed open followed by the sound of Tiny bringing someone down to the floor. Jessie and I took one look at each other before we ran into the house. At the end of the narrow hallway, Tiny was beating crap out of Leland to contain him. There was a lot of blood, none of which was coming from Leland.

The world around me started to move in slow motion. I felt like I was living in a movie. You know when something bad happens in a movie and everything slows down? Yeah, it felt like that.

I followed the blood into the living room where Miley was lying on the floor half-naked and bloody and Jake was lying beside her with a gunshot to his back. Jessie quickly removed his hooded sweater and covered Miley up while I checked for any signs of life in her.

"She's got a pulse. She's not concious but breathing," I said quickly with relief in my voice. I quickly glanced over at Jessie who was doing CPR on Jake. "Oh god."

"He's got no pulse, nothing," Jessie said in a panic as he continued to work on Jake. I felt movement beside me, Miley was coming too.

"Jake?" She whispered faintly. I tried to keep my tears at bay and offered her a smile. "It's Lilly hunny. Jakes beside you, he saved your life."

She tried to turn her head to look for him but I wouldn't let her. "Don't worry about him right now, you keep talking to me, alright?"

Before either one of us could say anything else, I was being pushed aside from the paramedics. I heard her calling faintly for Jake. Poor girl was so out of it that she probably had no idea what was going on. I was standing against a wall watching everything around me. Jessie came up to me and wrapped his arms around me. I didn't react; I was still in a state of shock as I watched them work on my two friends. They were working on getting Miley on a stretcher and in the process of shocking Jake as they ran from the house with him on a stretcher. I knew he probably wasn't going to make it.

My attention was brought to the hallway when I heard a grunting noise coming from Leland. Jessie had left my side at some point, walked over to Leland and punched him in the groin while Tiny held him, waiting for the cops.

"You son of a bitch," Jessie hissed. "Have fun in prison, they just love rapists. Can't say I'll feel sorry for you."

"I never raped her," Leland smirked. "She wanted it, she just didn't know it."

Jessie punched him. He went to grab him to do more but Tiny stopped him, saying something about it not worth it. Jessie walked out of the house, yelling something about following the ambulance to the hospital.

"Excuse me, Miss?" One of the cops who had just walked in asked knocking me out of my trance. "Are you friends with the victims?"

I nodded. "Yes."

"I need their names," she stated as she pulled out a pad of paper. Behind her, they were just wheeling Miley out of the house. "Neither of them had any I.D. on them."

"Her name is Miley Stewart, he's Jake Ryan, yes, the actor." I said quickly knowing she would ask since her eyes widened at the mention of his name. "Can I please ride with her?"

She shook her head no. "I'm sorry but they're working on her to try to get the bleeding to stop. They're taking both of them to Sunnybrook Tramua Centre in North York."

"I know where that is," Tiny stated as he walked up beside me. I quickly looked around and noticed Leland had been removed by the cops. I felt instant relief knowing he was going to be locked up for a while. "I'll take you there if you want."

I nodded and let the police office and Tiny lead me out of the house. There were swarms of people surrounding the area, trying to see what was going on. I stuck close to Tiny and climbed into the SUV as he talked to the officer, probably giving his statement. I looked around the vehicle as all the events started to hit me. I had just seen my best friend lying in her own blood, half naked and barely recognizable. I also just seen Jake lying lifeless beside the woman he would and probably will die for. From how he was lying, she would almost guarentee that he jumped over Miley and took the bullet for her, ultimately saving her life.

Tears began to stream down my face as my sobs became defening. I sat in the SUV sobbing, letting everything I had just witness process. I wanted nothing more than to climb into Oliver's arms and forget about the world. Tiny climbed into the vehicle with a solumn look on his face. He rested his head against the stearing wheel and just sat there for a moment. He finally turned the car over and began travelling down the road.

Fifteen minutes passed before either one of us said anything.

"They don't think he's going to make it," Tiny finally choked out. This was breaking his heart, he watched Jake grow up and always treated him like he was his own son. The fear of losing him was hanging heavily over his heart. "When I got into the house, Leland still had the gun pointed at them. Jake's body was still covering Miley's. The first time I got Leland to the floor I saw Jake trying to support himself on his elbows just looking at her. His final words before he collapsed were _'I love you_'."

Tears flowed from me at new heights. My entire body was shaking. This was just way too much for me. Jake, Miley and I were only eighteen. We should be safe in Malibu or wherever planning our futures, not fighting for our lives or covered in the blood of our best friends. I tried to calm myself down as I reached for my phone in my blood soaked pocket and dialed Robby Ray's number. He picked up on the first ring.

"Lilly? Where on Earth are-"

"We found her," I said inbetween sobs. "Jake... Miley... Toronto..."

Tiny grabbed the phone from me, allowing me to collapse against the seat as a new set of sobs escaped my lips

"Mr Stewart it is Dwight Anderson or Tiny as Jake calls me," he smirked at that comment and I couldn't help but smile through my tears. "We are in Toronto on our way to Sunnybrook Hospital's Trauma Centre. I am not sure about Miley's condition but I do know that there was a signifigant blood loss. I'm sorry sir I don't know at this time. Yes, we found Jake, sir. Lilly had found his cottage and went to get him and the two of them found Miley in Richmond Hill with Leland. Jake went into the house to get Miley not knowing Leland would be returning shortly and although I am not sure of details of what took place before I took down Leland, Jake took a bullet for your daughter. No sir, it doesn't look good for him at the moment. When they left the house with him, he had no pulse." Tiny was now holding back tears. "I'll have Jake's people prepare the jet for you. It's stationed in Malibu at the moment. Yes, sir, that's where. Do you have his mother's number? Of course sir, right away. See you soon. Thank you."

He hung up the phone and handed it to me as we pulled into a parking spot at the hospital. It was huge. I shook my head in amazement as I jumped from the vehicle and followed Tiny inside. We followed the signs to the trauma centre but were stopped by police before we could get any closer. Someone had leaked that Jake Ryan had been shot and was presently in the hospital (probably that cop or one of the paramedics) - paparazzi were everywhere. Tiny held up some sort of badge like thing to show the police officers.

"I'm Dwight Anderson, I am Jake Ryan's personal bodyguard and this is..."

One of the police officers moved out of the way and ushered us through to the private waiting area. He gently instructed us to wait inside in the room until one of the attending physicians comes to see us. I opened the door to see Jessie and -

"Oliver!" I shouted as I ran towards him and jumped into his arms expecting to sob but nothing came. I held onto Oliver, terrified to let him go.

"Any news?" Tiny asked as he sat down beside Jessie who shook his head. "No news is good news sometimes."

"How could I have been so stupid?" Jessie exclaimed jumping up and started pacing around the room. "She was under my nose the whole time and I never knew. I could have stopped this from ever happening to her."

"Didn't you ever get our e-mails?" Oliver asked as he pulled me onto his lap after sitting on the sofa. "We tried calling you put your numer was always unavailable."

"He must have blocked the numbers and screened all your e-mails." Tiny suggested receiving nods from the group. "He's a smart son a bitch."

"You're not kidding," I said sadly. "At least now he'll be in jail for attempted murder."

"Murder if Jake doesn't survive," Tiny whispered

"Assault," said Oliver

"Rape," said Jessie bitterly

Silence swallowed the room like a black hole. The tension that had built up was so thick the air could be cut with a knife. I looked up at the clock, an hour had passed. I sighed and stood up and began to pace around the room. Jessie was sitting against the wall with his elbows on his knees and head in his hands. Oliver was texting on his phone every now and then, presumably to his band mates while Tiny just stared at the wall across from him. I felt my blood go cold when we heard them call a code blue over the PA system. Everyone in the room exchanged the same scared expression but never dared to utter what we all feared the most. Another two hours passed and I was ready to start spazing. Finally, the door opened up to reveal a surgeon.

"I am looking for a Mr. Anderson, Mr. Stewart, named him as guardian until his arrival." He said shutting the door

"That would be me," Tiny responded standing up. The surgeon looked at us three younger kids and then at me. "They can stay."

The surgeon nodded and took a deep breath. "We just got Miley out of surgery. She suffered what is known as a uterine rupture and placenta abruption. We were able to stop the hemmoraging and we we were able to repair her uterus without having to perform a hysterectomy. However, by the time we got to her the pregnancy had already been terminated due to substantial blood and fluid loss."

There was a series of gasps that echoed throughout the room. Miley had been pregnant and that monster... If he wasn't in jail, I would kill him. Anger, anguish and bitterness flowed through me.

"Will she be okay?" I asked through clentched teeth

He frowned. "She sustained a great deal of injuries over the past few months by the looks of it. They will eventually heal. It does not look like there will be any need for reconstructive surgery in her face. Despite what the bruises on her face may suggest, she suffered no more than a broken nose. She has six broken ribs, but amazingly, there are no broken bones anywhere else. There was also substantial trauma to her lower extremides. There doesn't seem to be any internal injuries which is good but we can never be one hundred percent. Things can change at the drop of a pin with these things. What concerns me the most is her mental wellness; it is extremely difficult to recover mentally and emotionally from the experiences she has faced. Add the loss of a child and it can sometimes be too much for some people."

Trauma to her lower extremides. He wasn't only raping her but he was vicious about it as well. I can't believe she would stay with him with all of this. Why wouldn't she walk away? She had pleanty of chances to leave but she never did. What was he threatning her with? I shook my head and turned my attention back to the Surgeon.

"When will we be able to see her?" Tiny asked

"She's in recovery at the moment. We would like to keep her under observation for a few more hours incase any hemmoraging or anything were to happen. Once she is moved to a room or ward, we'll have a nurse bring you up."

We all nodded. Tiny extended his hand to the Surgeon and shook his hand. "Thank you for everything."

"It is no problem at all." He replied.

He turned around to open the door when I approached him. "Jake Ryan, do you have any idea how he is?"

His face fell. "I know he was still in surgery when I came down. They have had a few complications but other then that I don't know."

"Code blue Operating Room 3. Code Blue Operating Room 3." The PA system called out

The doctor nodded at us then beelined down the hall along with a swarm of nurses into the operating room down the hall from where we were. We all looked at each other then we all started to break off to deal in different ways. Me? I cried. Miley was going to be alright but Jake's life still hung in a delicate balance. Oliver wrapped his arms around me and began to rub my back soothingly as he lead us to the sofa. Despite the day's events, I allowed myself to cry myself into a restless slumber.

I awoke sometime later to Oliver gently kissing my cheek while giving me a careful shake. I opened my eyes as he nudged towards to door where another doctor was closing the door. I was instantly on my feet. I then noticed a middle-aged woman was there. She had medium length dirty blonde hair and piercing blue eyes. This was unmistakanly Jake's mother.

"Mrs Ryan?" The doctor asked.

"Yes? Is my son alright?" Her voice was laced with panic

The doctor took a deep breath and sat down with the woman. "He is out of surgery and we were able to remove the bullet and repair the area around it. He was lucky that it didn't puncture any major arteries or organs. It did however cause a collapsed lung which gave us numerous problems in the OR. He coded three times on the table and the most recent we were just about to call time of death when his heart miraculously started beating again. He was without oxygen for sometime but we did a few standard tests after the opperation and it seems as if he has full functioning of his brain." Everyone let out a sigh of relief. I practically danced. "The angle the bullet entered his body suggests that he did in fact cover Miss Stewart at the last possible second to prevent her from getting hit. Your son is a hero, Mrs. Ryan."

She bursted out into tears of joy and relief. She hugged the doctor as tears steadily fell from her face. She then stood up and wrapped her arms around me. She must have some how known I was Miley's best friend. I hugged her back with joy.

"Now," the Doctor said as he cleared his throat. "He did suffer some damage to his spinal cord which we repaired the best we could. With injuries such as this the lasting effect could mean he could walk out of here without any treatment, it could mean he'll need intesive rehab or he could end up being completely paralyzed. We won't know anything further until he wakes up. You can see him in about an hour or so."

"Thank you, doctor." She said calmly, shaking his hand.

As the doctor left, the room around me turned from tense to elated in a matter of seconds. We all hugged each other and talked about how happy we were. It was then that Jessie realized that him and I were still in blood stained clothing. Jake's mom looked at the two of us and nearly began to cry once again.

"Look at you too!" She exclaimed as she covered her mouth in shock. "You poor things! I can't imagine what you two had to witness. You both did a very noble thing. When Mr. Stewart called me and informed me what had happened he had told me that Jessie and Lilly had been at the house trying to help Jake and Miley. I was in Newmarket visiting a dear friend of mine at the time before leaving for the airport to head home tonight and she has two young children about your ages and she gave me a change of clothes for each of you, just incase. They are in my rental if you would like me to go get them."

"I'll go Elizabeth," Tiny said as he walked up beside her. "The paparazzi are probably still causing quite the scene out there and it is much easier for me to handle them then it is for you."

"Thank you so much, Tiny," she smiled, handing him the keys to the car. "The bag is in the trunk. Thank you again."

Tiny nodded and headed out the door. Mrs Ryan took a deep sigh before turning her attention back to me. I offered her a smile in return.

"You must be Lilly," she stated. "I have heard so much about you. Jake always had the greatest stories to tell me about Miley and her family. I am not sure if you knew but Jake has always thought of you a sister."

That I had no idea about. I knew he thought I was pretty cool but I never knew he ever saw me as a sister. I smiled sweetly and couldn't help but blush.

"I didn't know that," I answered simply. "I do know that when he wakes up I want to give him the biggest hug in the world. I can't believe he took a bullet for Miley."

Her smile became bitersweet. "I can. He loves Miley so much. He fell in love with her when he was fourteen and his love has not faltered. He was destroyed after that incident in Phoenix. When he relocated to Canada and got his dual citizenship I was upset but I knew it was something he needed to do."

I nodded. "The place he has is beautiful from what I got to see. I can't believe there's a fish pond by the front door!"

"That's one of many ponds," she laughed, amused by my enthusiasm. "My favorite is the one by the stairs just outside of the kitchen."

My eyes widened in disbelief. "Seriously?"

She nodded with a grin. We continued on our conversation, occassionally sharing a laugh with the group as she shared a tale about Jake's first audition as an infant - he ended up throwing up all over the director! Once Tiny returned, Jessie and I quickly got changed and disposed of our destroyed clothing. I was given a pair of black skinny jeans and cute pink hoodie. It was a little warm for the time of year but I welcomed it in the cool air conditioned hospital. I walked back to the waiting room and couldn't help but give a small smile. Jessie and Oliver were both curled up sound asleep on the two couches, Tiny was sitting in one of the standard, school-like chair while Mrs Ryan sat with a book on one of three large, squishy chairs.

I glanced up at the clock, it was 2:00am. We had been here since about 2:30pm. I sighed. We should be able to see Miley and Jake shortly - I hope.

The door finally opened and in walked Mr. Stewart, Lorelai, Jackson and Siena.

"Where is she?" Mr. Stewart asked in a panic

Mrs. Ryan approached him and pulled him into a hug. He gladly returned the favor. I lowered my head and stared at the floor. Emotions were threatning to burst out of me as Tiny and Mrs Ryan filled Mr Stewart in on Miley and Jake's condition. Part way through the conversation, I felt a set of arms around me. I glanced up and quickly got up from my chair and wrapped my arms around Jackson. He would never admit to it, espescially when Siena there but he had tears in his eyes. He felt like a failure as a big brother- after all it is their job to protect their baby sisters, something he feels he didn't do. I attempted to reassure him but he wasn't having it. It amazed me how much two people could say without ever saying a word; I suppose that is what happens when you have known someone as long as I have known Jackson.

"Excuse me?" A nurse asked, peaking her head into the door. "The doctor would like to speak with Mrs. Ryan regarding her son."

A worried look spread across her face as she nodded her head. She paused before reaching the door and motioned for me to follow. She probably needed me for some moral support incase he had taken a turn for the worst or...no, I refused to think like that.

We were led to a doctor who was standing outside a room, filing out a chart. He offered us a sympathetic smile as he reached out his hand towards Mrs. Ryan.

"Hello Mrs. Ryan, my name is Dr. Harrington, I've been the one managing your sons care."

Mrs. Ryan shook his hand. "Nice to meet you."

"Your son awoke about a half hour ago," he stated, causing both of us to light up, "however, he was pretty much screaming in pain. It seems as if the bullet clipped a central nerve in his spine, which would explain why he awoke in so much pain. We have administered a heavy pain killer to sedate him for the time being."

"What can we do for him?" She asked, folding her arms across her chest.

"Well, the good news about all of this is that if he is feeling this kind of pain then any worry regarding paralysis are gone. The pain killers will eventually wear off. We could keep administering them as pain sets in however, I fear it may end up hindering his recovery and wind up making it harder and longer than it needs to be."

"Options?"

"Well, the body recovers best when it is in a state of relaxation. I fear the constant in and out of pain, waiting for the meds to kick in will cause the body to spend more time fighting pain then recovering..."

"You want to put him into a medically induced coma!" I stated as the doctor nodded as worry spread across Mrs Ryans face. "I thought they only did medically induced comas for brain injuries and swelling?"

He gave me a confused yet amazed look. "Generally, yes. However, in instances such as this it appears to be our best course of treatment at this time."

"No," Mrs. Ryan said quickly. "My father was put into a medically induced coma when I was seven for a reason simular to this. I grew up without him. Make him as comfortable as possible without making him comatose. Let his body heal the way it is intended too."

"Mrs. Ryan, please-"

"Dr. Harrington?" A nurse inturpted behind him. "Miss. Stewart is awake and asking for Mr. Ryan."

"Excuse me," he said as he walked towards the room Miley was currently in.

"Miss?" The nurse asked softly. "You are welcomed to see your friend. After what you witnessed, I am sure you would to see her."

I smiled excitedly and turned to Mrs. Ryan who smiled at me and nudged me towards the nurse. "Go ahead dear. I will go and inform Robby then I will see what I can do to see Jake."

I mouthed thank you to the woman who had quickly became like a dear friend to me and followed the nurse towards Miley's room. Before entering, I took a deep breath preparing for what I was about to encounter. I pushed the door open, Miley was lying there, attached to a heart monitor and an IV. She turned her head towards the door with a hopeful look on her face. She stared atme for a moment, eyes locked with mine before she turned away ashamed.

"Hey." I whispered softly. "How are you feeling?"

The look on her face broke my heart. She shrugged her shoulders and sighed. "How do you think?"

I approached the bed carefully, afraid to scare her in anyway. I sat on the chair facing away from her and laid my hand on hers. "I am sorry I wasn't there sooner."

She ignored me. "Where's Jake? I knew he was there. Then I heard, _him_. There was a lot of noise but I couldn't see what was going on. He had a gun pointed at me. I kept calling Jake but he wasn't coming. I thought it was a dream until I felt him close to me." Tears began to soak her words as she spoke. "The sound was defaning, it was so loud. Jake screamed in pain - I knew he had been shot. I could feel the blood on my chest. He collapsed on me and I saw someone take _him_ down. Jake somehow found the strength to prop himself up and he stared at me and there was no fear, nothing but love." Tears were now streaming down both our faces. "He said he loved me then collapsed beside me.," she stopped talking then turned her head towards me. "Is he gone? Is that why no one will tell me where he is?"

I offered her a smile and shook my head. "No, Jake's not dead, sweetheart. He's in a room down the hall. Very much alive and kicking. Well. Not really kicking right now but kicking in the sense that he's alive and-"

"I get it," Miley said with a smirk. "Can I see him?"

"Not right now, babydoll," Mr. Stewart said as he peaked into the room. "Oh Miley! I was so worried about you!"

"Hi daddy," she whispered. "I am so sorry."

"Shhh," Mr. Stewart whispered. "There's nothing to be sorry for bud." He kissed his daughter gently on her bruised forehead. "Everything is going to be alright."

"What about..."

"He's in prison," Mr. Stewart said cutting Miley off. "He's going to be there for a very long time. We have already talked to the officers, he's been deemed a danger to the public. It is unlikely that he will make bail before his trial."

"Miss Stewart?" A young female doctor asked, peaking into the room. "I am Doctor Cyrus. I would like to take a quick look at you."

I stood up and walked up beside Mr. Stewart. "We'll just be outside..."

"No!" Miley shouted grabbing my hand weakly. "Lilly, please stay."

I took a quick look at Mr. Steward who nodded. "I'll just let everyone know you're doing OK."

I quickly took a place in the chair across from Miley while the doctor check her vitals.

"May I call you Miley?" The doctor asked as she took her blood pressure. Miley nodded. "You've been through quite the ordeal, Miley. How are you feeling?"

"In a lot of pain," Miley responded. She suddenly sucked a breath in quickly as the doctor examined her broken ribs. "That hurts!"

"It will for a few weeks," the doctor responded as she checked a few more areas.

The doctor lifted the blanket covering Miley's lower half and did a quick internal examination. By the end of it, Miley was practically screaming from pain. She wrote something onto the chart then sat down beside Miley on the bed.

"Everyone looks as it should. Are you aware that you were in surgery for several hours?" Miley shook her head no. "You suffered from a massive blood lost. We were trying to repair the tear you had on your uterus from the incident earlier today."

"The baby didn't survive, did it?" Miley asked with a voice that could break anyones heart. The doctor shook her head no. "I'm sorry. We did everything we could, however, it was already too late."

"Will I ever be able to have children?"

The doctor sighed. "Yes. There was limited trauma to your ovaries. Your cervix has had extensive damage due to months of..."

"Trauma." I said quickly, avoiding anything that may upset Miley.

"Trauma," the doctor repeated, following my lead. "It will repair itself further in time but in the future any sexual activities will be uncomfortable for a while until your body adjusts. As for you Uturine Rupture, or the tear, in the event you get pregnant in the future, you will more than likely be listed as a high risk. You will not, however, be able to have a natural childbirth."

Miley nodded, looking both relieved and devestated at the same time.

"You managed to pull through some pretty horrible stuff, Miley," the doctor said with a hint of admiration. "Your injuries and bruises tell a horrific story yet one of strength. You went through a lot in those few months that most wouldn't have been able to sustain for a few days. Something kept you going, kept you fighting." The doctor patted Miley's head and smiled at her. Tears were welting in Miley's eyes and freely flowing from mine. "Whatever it was that kept you strong, continue to hold onto it and never let it go."

Miley nodded. "Can I please see Jake?"

The doctor paused for a moment, almost as if she were pondering. She finally sighed and walked from the room.

Miley and I exchanged looks. "Well that was rude!"

Miley sighed sadly. "It's alright. I'll just sneak out at some point."

"There will be none of that, Miley," the doctor said as she entered the room again with two male nurses and her dad. The male nurses worked on switching all of Miley's monitors to battery while the doctor walked to Miley's side; Mr. Stewart stayed by the door. "I am only doing this because Mr. Ryan has been asking for you whenever he's even briefly conscious. I want to avoid either one of you from doing more damage to your injuries so we're going to be moving both of you to a special ward in the hospital. Other then the mental ward, it's the only area guarded by security. It's for celebrities like Jake and high risk flighters."

The doctor walked along side the stretcher, assisting the nurses as they moved through the halls. "Now, you won't be able to get out of bed until around noon and I want you to get help when you do. You're on iron pills and I advise you eat more red meat and leafy greens then you are probably used too. You will remain on an IV for the next few days while receiving your anti-biotic to prevent infection plus we want to keep you here to monitor healing. If you feel lightheaded or dizzy, lie down immediately. If it doesn't go away, call the nurses. Other then that, for now, have pleanty of rest."

We entered a large empty room that looked a lot homier then I had ever seen any hospital room I had ever seen. There were two couches, a flat screen television and two lounge chairs on the other side of the room. They pulled Miley's stretcher up too another hospital style bed that looked far more comfortable. I cringed when they lifted Miley from one bed to the other - the look of pain in her eyes was clear as day. The doctor signed some paperwork and laid her hand on Miley's.

"Mr. Ryan is on his way up now," Dr. Cyrus stated causing Miley's eyes to light up for the first time. "I want both of you to get plenty of rest. Remember, with the heavy sedidation he's under, he will be sleeping a lot."

"That's alright," Miley responded with a yawn. "I just need to see that he is OK."

The doctor nodded. "I understand, Miss Stewart. In my old age it's refreshing to see such a strong love between two young ones."

Miley blushed and I couldn't help but sniker. "Oh, we're not together..."

Doctor Cyrus rolled her eyes. "Yes, I know, you broke up with him. Just because you're broken up that does not mean the love isn't obvious. You called out for him the second you opened your eyes in recovery and at the scene according to your friends. Mr. Ryan not only took a bullet to save your life but also attempted to leave his hospital bed in recovery before discovering how much pain he was in just to see you. If you ask me, you two are far from over one another. I'll check on you in a few hours."

Without another word, Doctor Cyrus left the room. No more than two seconds later, the doors opened again. Three nurses and Dr. Harrington came into the room with Jake on his stretcher. Like Miley, they moved him onto the softer beds. Both Miley and I were trying to get a look at him but the nurses were in the way. When they finally moved, I heard a gasp come from Miley.

He was propped up on his side, facing us. He was as white the sheets he laid on and completely out cold.

"Oh, Jake!" Miley whispered.

_That's it for Chapter 3! Chapter 4 will resume from Miley's POV. For those who have been wanting more Jake and Miley - it's coming! I am so glad I have the heaviest stuff out of the way! Things won't be smooth sailing from here but I don't plan on having anything this intense going on. _

_I have a pretty busy weekend a head of me so I probably won't be able to update until Monday. Hope this part was long enough to keep y'all happy until then. _


	7. Chapter 4

_I am so sorry about the lateness of this chapter. My son had a vicious tummy flu that left me with little chance to get into the flow of writing. I plan on having Chapter 5 up within a day or two! I have another busy weekend of Wedding shooting to do. I'm doing a back-to-back Wedding's. Two 12 hour Weddings in a Weekend... Oy. _

_Enjoy!_

**Chapter 4**

_I was blown away. What could I say? It all seemed to make sense. You've taken away everything,  
And I can't deal with that. – "It's Not Over" - Daughtry_

_**Miley's POV. **_

I could not tell you how long I was out. I stayed awake as long as I could to watch Jake breathe; scared to death he would run into complications and pass in his sleep. They told us the first twenty-four hours were the worst after being shot. I faught sleep as long as I could while Lilly, my father and Mrs Ryan slept in the lounge area. The last time I glanced at the clock before finally drifing to sleep was 11:00am.

I woke to gentle sound of my dad talking to... Jake!

I slowly turned myself around so that I was facing Jake's bed. A smile escaped my lips at the scene before me; Jake was still proped up on his side but he seemed to be having a rather good conversation with my father and Oliver - two men who couldn't stand him a year and a half ago. I glanced over at the lounge area, Jackson, Jessie and Lilly were watching what looked like a hockey game while Mrs. Ryan sat on one of the loungers reading. I looked at the wall above them, it was 7:26pm.

"Miley!" I heard Jake gasp then curse under his breath. "I have to remember not to move so quickly. You're finally awake, how are you?"

"Better then you are right now," I said softly. "Are you alright?"

"Don't worry about me." Jake said stubbornly

"This boy over here has been refusing high doses of pain medication," Mrs. Ryan stated as she walked towards our beds. "Says he wanted to see you were okay with his own eyes."

"Jake!" I scolded. "You need that medication!"

He shook his head no. "I've been without you for a year and a half Miley, now that I have a chance to be around you I'm not going to risk missing it." You could hear the pain in his voice with every word he spoke. "I don't know what's going to happen once we're out of here and if it means me being away from you again then please don't take this little bit of time away from me."

Lilly, Jessie, Oliver and Jackson each gave me a look that clearly told me not to hurt him. I sighed and let my eyes truly lock with his since I said goodbye at the taping for Hannah's Christmas special. They were so bright and full of love and hope. I quickly looked away, suddenly becoming overwhelmed by a sense of shame and almost dirty feeling. I brought the blanket that was around me as close to me as I could.

"It's alright, Miley," his voice was soft, soothing. "I am not going to hurt you."

Everyone was staring at me. I am Hannah Montana, I should be used to having people stare at me but there was something so incredibly unnerving about it.

"I think we should go get some coffee and perhaps some food?" Mrs. Ryan suggested to Oliver, Jackson, Lilly and Jessie. They all nodded in aggrement, said their goodbyes and dissapeared from the room. "I'll see you in a little bit, alright dear?"

Jake nodded and tried to adjust his position a bit and cried out in pain. I slowly lowered the blanket and sat up carefully. I looked at my dad who nodded and was at my side in an instant. He helped me off the bed and kept me steady as I slowly and painfully walked over to Jake's bed. His eyes were closed from the intensity of the pain. I frowned as I ran my finger down his face. His eyes shot open. I could see the amount of pain he was in and I didn't like it. I leaned over and kissed his forehead.

"Thank you, for saving my life." I whispered as I sat on the edge of the bed. "I don't understand why you would risk your life to save me but..."

"There's no world worth living in if you don't exist, Miley." He whispered with a smile. "A world where you and I are apart but you're out there, happy then that's a world I can live in. A world without your smile though... I couldn't bare to live in it."

That was possibly the most romantic thing I had ever heard. I smiled faintly, trying to hide the blush. Jake had always been a super romantic and just awesome guy. From jumping out of the sky in a tuxedo with a rose and chocolate, to dozens of gift baskets, to showing up at my house in knight armour to confessing his love for me on national television to taking a bullet for me. There were no questions regarding his love for me, it was there; but he did cheat on me and even though I knew he was set up by _him_, I couldn't wrap my mind around it. How I felt was very confusing. I wanted to be around Jake but I was scared to be around him at the same time if that made sense. I quickly looked away and glanced over at my dad who was sitting just close enough to help me if I needed it but far enough away to give us some privacy.

"Jake," I whispered as he looked up at me again. "Can you please take some pain killers for me? I can tell you're in agony."

He shook his head no, pain filling his features again. "Please, Miley, don't make me." His eyes became sad. "I..."

"I don't know what is going to happen once we get out of here either but we will figure that one out, alright?" Jake nodded in agreement. "Now please get something for the pain?" Jake shook his head no. I pouted. "For me?"

Jake laughed lightly and nodded. "Fine. But only because you're so adorable and I love you to pieces."

"Thank you," I whispered.

Once Jake was given some medication, he quickly fell into a peaceful slumber. Once asleep, I decided to spend sometime lounging on one of those super comfy looking chairs by the television. The group came back shortly before visitation hours were over to make sure they got their goodbyes in. Since both Jake and I were out of the woods, everyone was sentenced to leave at nine so we could rest.

With everyone gone and Jake asleep, boredom krept up on my quickly. I curled up in the chair and began flipping through the channels. Old episodes of Zombie High were playing on a local station for youth. I smirked and put the remote control down. It was incredible how ridiculous this show was and even more so when I thought about how much we all used to love it. Jake loved filming this show, even if it was over the top. After a few episodes, I was graced with the one Hannah had been on. I frowned, I didn't realize how much I missed Hannah. I then gasped when it dawned on me that she just dissapeared from the Earth without a trace. I wondered how my father handled the situation. I flipped through the channels until I came to a repeat of E! Canada from early that evening. Maybe they would have the answers I was searching for. Sure enough, they were doing their nightly coverage of "Missing Montana". A segment where they discuss and try to determain where Hannah Montana could be. Crazy ideas were discussed including my being six months pregnant with Jake Ryan's baby. I cringed and laid a hand on my belly. I had been pregnant. Even if I hadn't wanted to have sex, especially with him, I was still blessed with a child. Then he ripped it away from me. A vicious bout of tears fell from my face as a deep, broken hearted sob escaped my lips. A wave of emotions that I have never felt before rushed through my system like a surge of electricity. This was what grief in its strongest form felt like. I also felt incredibly guilty; I had many chances to leave and I never did. Fear kept me with him like a caged animal. He would have come looking for me; no doubt killing anyone he had too to get to me. He nearly killed both Jake and me, so there was no doubt what would have happened.

I eventually cried myself to sleep on that chair. I welcomed the sleep with open arms. That was until my pleasent slumber was distrubed by him.

I was at a gorgeous cottage of some sort with my family, friends and Jake. We were all having a great time, talking, laughing and playing. A sense of pride was in my heart as I watched Jake play with a gorgeous little girl. That little girl was no doubt mine and Jake's. I felt like I was in heaven on Earth; everything was perfect. Suddenly, the sunny day became dark as rain, lightning and thunder surrounded us. We all began to gather our belongings, running inside laughing with love in our hearts. I gathered the little girl into my arms and rushed towards the large orential cottage when I stopped dead in my tracks. Leland was standing there, a knife at Jakes throat and the most sinister and sadistic smirk on his face that I had ever seen. Before anything could be said or done, the knife cut across Jake's throat and he fell to the floor. He then lunged at me...

I woke up screaming, covered in sweat. I suddenly felt arms around me, I knew it was Oliver but my screams got worse. I kept yelling at him not to touch me and begged him not to hurt me. It was then I felt a set of gentle arms on my shoulders. I felt myself calm down as my mind registered the fact that I was no longer dreaming and that Leland was no where near me. As I began to calm down, my vision cleared and I noticed Mrs. Ryan was sitting beside me, talking to me slowly, in a reassuring manner. I heard her instruct me to take a few deep breaths and I did. Within a matter of moments, I was calm and once again able to take full account of my surroundings. Jake was practically freaking out, wanting to get over to me while my dad and Jackson attempted to calm him down while Lilly and Jessie tried calming Oliver down. I twinge of guilt pass through me. Oliver only tried to calm me down and I treated him like he was going to beat me.

"Oliver?" I choked out. "I'm so...sor-"

He looked at me as if his heart was breaking. "Don't worry about me, Miley. I understand, we were told this could happen. It just spooked me is all."

In the corner of my eye I noticed my father and Jackson arguing with Jake who was desperately trying to get out of bed.

"Leslie Jacob Ryan!" I snapped causing the whole room to stiffen. "If you dare try to leave that bed one more time, I will request a new room and you will never see me again, understood?"

He froze like a statue. Lilly, Oliver and my father shot me a look that could kill while Mrs. Ryan looked as if she understood. Jake sighed and admited defeat. He mumbled something about why he bothers to care. I sighed heavily. I couldn't even figure out why he bothered with me. I quickly looked away from him and turned my attention to his mother.

"Thank you," I said quietly, ashamed of my actions

"It's not an issue, my dear," she replied as she brushed a strand of hair from my face. "I know what people such as yourself have been through."

I didn't push and neither did anyone else. Judging by the grimace on Jake's face, he knew.

My time in the hospital went much faster then I ever inticipated. I was healing faster then expected and I was able to walk around on my own within a week. Jake was doing rather well himself, he took his first series of rehab activities for walking and could already walk a bit on his own.

I awoke one morning, a week and a half since arriving there to an empty room. I glanced at the clock, it was 7:30am. That explained the lack of visitors but not the lack of Jake. His therapy wasn't until eleven and no one was here to help him get around. Worry began to creep through my system. I got out of the bed and first checked the bathroom. Nothing. I turned to head out of the room and walked straight into a broad chest. I immediately jumped back, fear tensing over me. I managed to open my eyes, it was Jake. Without thinking, I jumped back over to him and wrapped my arms around him, hugging him with all the strength I had.

"Good morning to you too!" He exclaimed with the most enthusiasm he's had the entire time we have been in here. "Maybe I should go for walks in the morning more often."

I smirked, then cringed. I knew I hadn't been the best person to be around these past few weeks. In fact, I had been downright unpleasent, especially to Jake. I hated being like this to him but it was like I had no control over my emotions. I loved Jake and I honestly believe that was the issue. I couldn't trust him, or any man for that fact, but my feelings for Jake made that fear that much worse. I suppose I was afraid to give him the power to hurt me like Leland did.

I wanted to pull away and do what I always do, hide but instead, I hugged him in a more loving way. I wanted to lose myself in his arms and feel safe, even for a short while.

I finally pulled away and walked with him back to his bed. "I couldn't find you and got worried."

He smiled, his eyes beaming. "The doctor came in and talked to me. He said if I could walk around this floor without any signifigant assistance, I would be released the same time you are. I just have to drive down here once a week for therapy. I have to go to the hospital in Parry Sound twice a week in the wee hours of the morning as well."

My heart dropped. I was being released this morning. In all the worry I had built up for Jake, I completely forgot. I guess my closeness to him would be gone soon enough. I cursed myself for taking my sweet time.

"Yeah, I have my therapy sessions once a week as well," I mumbled.

"Are you going to see a therapist in Malibu?" He asked, as he began packing his stuff into a duffle bag Tiny had brought him. "I am sure there's pleanty of great ones there."

I shrugged. Part of me couldn't wait to get back to Malibu and relax on the beach with my friends, however, my heart wanted me closer to Jake. I guess he wanted me to go back home so he could move on with his life. I felt the tears wealt up in my eyes and quickly bolted over to my bed, cursing myself. I saw him look at me with a confused look. He stared at me for a moment before his features softened up. He slowly made his way over to me and sat down.

"Miley, don't hate me for asking you this and please try not to freak out on me," he turned his body so he was facing me. "I talked to your father about this already but if you would like to keep seeing the therapist you have here, you can come and stay at my place." My eyes widened in shock. "Not just you and I, don't worry. The place is large enough for all of you. My mom is already staying with me and I've extended the invitation to everyone. Everyone accept for Jessie said sure, as long as you're there. He wants to go home and spend time with his parents. If being in the same house is still too much for you, I'll give you the master and go sleep in the pool house."

Typical Jake, he would probably sleep out in a tent on the road if it made me more comfortable. I considered this option for a moment. I really was warry of trusting people right now and my therapist was great. They sent me to something called a Child and Youth Worker who works with abuse women and children. She specializes with non-traditional methods of therapy so we don't just sit in a stuffy office and talk. We play games, do activities and stuff like that. It works quite well, I was starting to open up to her and it would be horrible to have to relocate and lose that. Could I handle being with Jake? Well, duh, that's the easy question. Being with Jake was easy as breathing it was just hard to trust anyone right now. Oliver, for instance, wouldn't be able to come this close to me without me freaking out. I even had issues with my father at times. Lilly, Liz (she hated me calling her Mrs. Ryan anymore) and Jake seem to be the only ones I could handle in close proximity to me.

"Jake,"

He shook his head and chuckled awkwardly. "It's okay, I understand. It'll be great being in Malibu..."

"Leslie!" I nearly shouted, cutting him off. "I never said I was going back to Malibu. I was actually going to take you up on your offer."

He froze, much like he did when I told him I was Hannah Montana. I couldn't help but smirk at this. It was probably the last thing he was expecting to hear from me. If I was him I would have expected me to turn him down. Besides, from what Lilly had told me, this place was gorgeous and I was incredibly curious about the pond at the front door. I took a deep breath and leaned in to place a very soft kiss on his cheek.

"Thank you for never failing to be there for me."

I stood up and began getting my things together with a small smile on my face. I didn't know where Jake and my relationship was going to go but I did know that he was someone I needed in my life. I owed him that much. After all, he did save my life.

I was in the process of packing when I felt a pair of strong arms wrap around my waist from behind. I tensed up instantly.

"Miley," Jake whispered reassuringly. "It's just me. I can let you go if you want. Just tell me too and I will."

I stood there, very conflicted. My head screamed at me to make him let me go but my heart told me this was Jake and he would never in a million years hurt me like Leland did. This was a man that would die for me without a second thought. I was having an internal battle with myself. I was going to fight the intense feeling to run. I couldn't let this control me. Jake continued to hold me, with his head on my shoulder for a few moments. I wanted desperately to let myself relax and mold into his arms but I found myself unable to do it. My mind wouldn't allow it.

Jake finally let go of me, gently placing a kiss on my shoulder as he let me go. "I'm proud of you, Miley. You didn't run. You're making fabulous progress."

I turned and looked at him in surprise. "That's progress? The battle I was having in my head was like it always is."

He smiled and sat down on my bed. "That might be the case but you didn't run or have a panic attack like you did a week an a half ago. That's progress."

I couldn't help but smile. "You're right."

Jake stood up and walked over to his bag. He fished around in it for a few minutes before walking back over to the bed. He laid a familular blue velvet box on the top of my clothes. My head snapped to the side to look at him. He smiled at me with that egotystical Jake Ryan look I know all to well. I was confused as anything. Leland had found the ring in my stuff when I moved into hell with him. He watched me as I cried and begged him not to destroy it. He took a sick pleasure as he ruined the one object that was made for me; what was meant for me to wear as a symbol of my heart being tied to Jake's. I quickly opened the box and sure enough, staring back at me was the same beautiful ring he had given me in my trailer when a twist of fate brought us together again.

"Lilly told me about the ring being destroyed," my eyes widened in disbelief, not believing she would betray me like that. "She didn't tell me any details at all, just that he destroyed it. I made a phone call, got a new one made and Tiny picked it up for me. It seems that being Jake Ryan still has its advantages when you need them. Or maybe it was the outrageous rush fee I had to pay."

I kept staring at the ring, admiring it's beauty suddenly wondering how it would look on my left ring finger. I couldn't understand why he would go through the trouble when him and I weren't even together. "Why would you-"

"Miley," he whispered, taking a deep breath. "I know we're not together and I know there's a strong possibility that we never will be again but I love you. You're the reason I fought for life when I was in surgery. You're the reason I fight massive amounts of pain to take a single step. You're the reason my world turns. There isn't anything I wouldn't do for you. I've been in love with you since I was fourteen and I haven't stopped. There is no one else in the world out there for me." Tears found their way into my eyes as I watched Jake. He was staring off at the wall by the door, lost in thought with a content smile on his face. "When I bought the original one, I had every intention of marrying you. I still would in a heart beat. But," he finally looked away from the wall and turned to me. When he saw I had tears in my eyes, he stood and wiped the tears from my eyes and laid his hands gently on my shoulders causing me to tense again. "I messed things up. I had it remade because it was something I wanted to give you as the purest gift from my heart. Even though that bastard destroyed it, that shouldn't mean you should go without it. You can reject my love, reject my heart and even refuse to have me in your life but please don't reject this ring. Let it be the last act of love you let me give to you."

Have you ever had moments in life where despite what everything in your head was telling you, you throw all risks and worries to the wind? Yeah, that's what this moment was.

I threw my mind out the window, grabbed Jake by the back of his neck and pulled him down to me in the most magical, intense and passionate kiss I had ever experienced.

For that one moment, I wasn't an abuse survior, I wasn't a mother mourning the loss of her child. No, for that one moment I was just a teenager in love.

If only moments like that could last forever.

_Okay, I love this ending for the chapter. It is cute with a sense of hope for Jake and Miley! I also hope it makes it clear it is not all sunshine and roses from this point on. She still is a young girl healing from a horrible experience. It is next to impossible to move on that quickly and not experience backlash. Besides, who could resist kissing Jake after him declairing himself like that? *sigh* _


	8. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

_I have to start out by saying THANK YOU so very much to everyone who reviewed the previous chapter. I got my most reviews for a single chapter and I cannot even begin to thank you all enough. To those who have sent me a review, I am sorry I didn't get to send you a preview of this chapter. This is the first time I have had a chance to even look at my computer (I write on my blackberry). In this Chapter, three new characters are brought into it. If you would like to see what they look like, check out the blog! (whitex bliss. Blog spot. Com – no spaces)_

_A special thanks to: Iamtwilight, rabbitx14, ptitemel38 and brucas224 for the reviews. You will all get a sneak peak of the next chapter today or tomorrow. Anyone who reviews will also get a sneak peak._

_**Jake's POV. **_

When I originally poured my heart out to Miley, the last thing I was expecting was her kissing me. I knew this was a one-time kiss, not the start of a new relationship for us. This was a chance for her to get out the pent up emotions she was feeling. I knew she loved me; I could feel it flowing from her but sometimes despite how you may feel for someone, things just never work out.

Knowing this could very well be the final time I ever feel her soft lips, I wrapped my arms around her and gently nudged her towards me, which she did without hesitation. I deepened the kiss, letting every last emotion pour out from me and into her.

Minutes that seemed to go impossibly fast came and went. Miley finally broke the kiss and rested her forehead on my shoulder. Her body was trembling I knew she was crying. I held onto her, letting her know I would protect her.

"Jake?" She asked her voice quivering. "Just give me time."

A smile the size of North America spread across my face. Everything I had ever hoped for what coming to play before my eyes. "I'll wait forever.."

Miley's POV

Now I'm numb as hell and I can't feel a thing but don't worry about regret or guilt cuz I never knew your name. I just want to thank you, thank you, from the bottom of my heart - for all the sleepless nights and for tearing me apart - "Long Way to Happy" - Pink

"I kissed Jake this morning," I whispered as I looked at the abstract painting I was working on in front of me. "We were talking and he laid his feelings out in front of me. I don't know what happened, any logic abandoned me like last season's shoes."

I caught the smirk in the CYW's eyes as I glanced over at her through the corner of my eyes. "You love him."

I wasn't really sure if that was a statement or more of a question. "Of course I love him."

"You two have been through a great deal together." She stated as she sat down beside me, watching me paint. "You fell in love when you were fourteen?" I nodded. "Most relationships at that age last a few months at absolute most. It's very rare you find real love that young yet you and Jake were able too."

I sighed. I knew she was right. I knew what Jake and I had been incredibly special and rare but there was just so much hurt, mostly due to his career and ego. Then again, he had given up his career and from what I understood he was living a rather simple life without any real help besides a groundskeeper and a housekeeper thatcame around twice a week. I put my brush down and looked at Ashley. Her eyes held so much knowledge and wisdom despite only being twenty-three. You could tell just by looking at her that her mind had aged much faster than anyone else had her age. Her blonde hair was pulled back into a simple ponytail that was clipped into a spider clip. Her body was soft, curvy - something she said was a testimate of sacrifice for her gorgeous little boy. I fought back tears at that thought but quickly pulled myself back to the conversation we'd been having.

"How did you meet your husband?"

She looked at me then offered a pleasant smile. "He saved my life. I had just gotten out of an emotionally and somewhat sexually abusive relationship with a computer nerd who loved porn more than me. The dynamics of that relationship sent me into a whirlwind battle with bulimia. I plummeted from a modest size 12 and 170lbs to 110lbs in two months. I was literally a skeleton. My hips are naturally very wide. Lost all curves, all boobs, everything. I was horribly sick," she said as she dumped and refilled my brush water. "Andrew and I had known each other for years. He was there for me the day my ex and I broke up. He renewed my confidence in myself. I started eating without throwing up and gained back some weight. Doctors don't think I would have been around much longer the way I was heading."

"Wow," I said taking in everything, she said. She and her husband were very similar to Jake and me. I sighed heavily, laying my brush down on the small painting table beside me. "I think I'm done."

"It's beautiful," she stated with a smile. The painting was an abstract of lines and squares. The majority of the painting was dark and dreary, however there were small sections of bright and vivid colors. "Really does say something about your feelings though."

I raised an eyebrow on her. "How do you gather?"

She chuckled. "Well, the vast majority of the paining is dark. Lots of blacks, navy blues, dark purples and such. That reflects your feelings regarding Leland, your grief from the lost pregnancy and so forth. The lighter areas reflect your sources of light, love and hope - no doubt your family, friends and Jake."

I looked at her dumbfounded. "They teach you this in college?"

"Yes and no," she stated. "They taught us how to look for what a person is trying to say through therapeutic activities but they can't teach you how to actually see it."

"What do I do about Jake?" I asked looking away from the young woman beside me. "I want to be with him again, more than you can imagine but I am terrified. I can't get this thought out of my head that once I trust him, he'll go crazy and do the same things to me."

"That's because you don't trust anyone right now which is perfectly normal," said Ashley, as she began to tidy up the supplies. "You've been through something absolutely horrific. It's going to take time to trust anyone like that again. However, remember something, Jake won't hurt you. Any man who is willing to die for you would never hurt you like that."

Deep down, I knew she was right. My mind, however, had to be a stupid little biatch and betray me. "He has hurt me though."

The look she gave me told me she was expecting this. "Okay, let's look at that then," she pulled out a piece of landscape paper and began to write on it. She wrote 'Jake' in the middle of the paper and turned to me. "Tell me each time he broke your heart."

I sat back and folded my arms. I hated doing stuff like this. "When we were fourteen, he kissed me, agreed we were together then left the next day to go to Romania to film a movie for six months. The second was when we tried to have a relationship but his ego and the actor Jake Ryan got in the way. He wanted everyone to cater to him and thought he was all that. I wanted normal. When we broke up that time threatened to tell everyone that I'm Han... I mean that I have a huge secret that could jeopardize every bit of normal I had. It devastated me because my sense of normalcy keeps me sane." Oh lord I hope she didn't catch that. She can't know I'm Hannah Montana. "We got back together after a stupid hoax him and a friend of mine pulled on him. I realized I still loved him and he still loved me. I hid him from my dad and nearly destroyed my relationship with him. I also had a chance to be with Jessie. I started to fall for him and I was torn. I ended up picking Jake because of our history together. In the end though, he cheated on me."

I looked at the paper, she had the information given to her in different spots on the paper surrounding his name. She then grabbed a pink marker an obvious contrast to the black.

"Now, each time he's come into your life, tell me what he's done to win you back and this time, why you kissed him."

I cocked an eyebrow at her and leaned against the table. I had no idea what she was getting at here but I was curious.

"When he came back from Romania, he actually jumped from a plane, in a tuxedo with a rose and chocolates. He got down on one knee and asked for another chance."

"He jumped from a plane?" She nearly exclaimed in shock. "That's so cute."

I laughed. "I dumped a milk shake on his head and walked off." She laughed as she continued to write. "Then, he kept sending me all these gift baskets and that to my house. I hated it, my dad and Lilly loved it. He ended up coming to my house dressed like a knight and Lilly convinced me to give him a shot. Turned out he had a movie premier that night and his co-star was is fake girlfriend. I hit him in the head with the giant sausage thing and kicked him out." I watched her as she continued to write, amazed at how she was actually listening. "We watched the red carpet segment on TV that night and he confessed on national TV that he was in love with me."

"I remember that, actually." She laughed. "I was watching it with some girlfriends. My best friend cried for days over it but I thought it was awesome. I don't know a girl alive who wouldn't love to have a guy confess their love in front of the world."

I smiled, thinking back to that night. "Then after he cheated on me, he did what I wanted and stayed away from me. Gave me my space to figure out the world around me. Then, we were given the music video to work together and he totally let all his feelings out and gave me the most incredible ring ever. He told me he bought it right before that night in Phoenix and was going to propose to me when he got back. Then the whole thing with Leland happened and he came into save me and got shit. We hadn't really talked to each other in the hospital since the incident until this morning. I think he was trying to give me some space. I woke up, he was gone and I panicked. When he came back, I held onto him and didn't let go. We ended up talking and he invited me to stay with him in Muskoka so I can keep seeing you and I said yes. He ended up baring his soul again and I don't know what happened, I just kissed him."

"How did you feel when you kissed him?"

"Like I was home," I replied simply. "I know how very silly that sounds but I just felt like I was at peace."

She finished writing down what I had just told her then turned the paper towards me. "What do you notice about this paper?"

I glanced at it. The paper had every detail I had shared with Ashley on it. What stood out though, was the amount of pink marker in comparison to the black.

"That's a lot of pink!" I laughed lightly. "It shows that Jake has screwed up but has always tried to do well."

"I'm going to let you on a secret," she whispered in a playful manner. "Men always screw up. They'll never stop screwing up. Here, let me show you something,"

She grabbed another piece of paper from beside her and wrote the name 'Greg' in the middle. She then took the black marker and wrote quite a bit. She then took the pink marker and wrote some stuff out.

"This is my ex-boyfriend and my first real love. Our relationship was brief, ten months the first time and a week the second, but real. We were very much in love and we both still love each other, however, it just wasn't healthy." She showed me the different things he did, including the abuse he subjected her to and an online affair and the things he did to try to make it up to her. "He loved me dearly, however, he was always too selfish to do more positive than negative."

"Jake does more positive than negative," I revolutionized. "Even if he does screw up a lot but he always tries to make it better. Your ex, Greg didn't really try as much as he probably could. What about your husband?"

I wanted to see if there was a trend or not. I knew all men screwed up - I lived with Jackson for my entire life. Were men more likely to really try for those they truly loved? Ashley very quickly wrote out some points. There will about the same amount of black as Jake had and although there was more pink than Greg, it was still less then Jake.

"All men will try harder for the one they see themselves with in the long run, however, some guys are just more romantic than others." She stated pointing to Jake's paper. "Greg for instance was a very romantic guy but just didn't want to put forth the effort. Andrew on the other hand isn't all that romantic but he's got a lot of heart and tries like heck with me."

I nodded taking in everything. It made a lot of my thoughts a little clearer. I was a long way from happy but maybe this was just leading me to make that choice and head in the right direction.

"What do I do about Jake? It's not fair to lead him on and fall apart and it's not fair to make him wait." I asked, my voice hard and heavy.

"Do you want to be with him? If trust wasn't an issue, if Leland wasn't a factor in this, would you be with him?"

"Yes," I answered simply

She laid her hands on my shoulders and looked me in the eye. "Then sit down and talk to him. Be one hundred percent honest with each other then seeing where it goes." She walked away from me and I watched her as she took my painting off the easel and onto the table to dry. "You two could decide to have a slow relationship of mutual love and devotion, giving you all the time you need knowing it could blow up like Andrew and I did or you could just decide to wait and see what comes of that."

I left my session that morning with a slightly different outlook on things. I have a long way to go before I can truly give myself over to Jake the way he deserves but I didn't want to be without him.

As I approached the room Jake and I had been staying in, I heard the laughter and forced a smile. Everyone was excited that we were finally able to leave; so were we to be honest. I walked into the room and was instantly surrounded by Lilly and Oliver.

"Miley!" Lilly screeched jumping up and down. "Jake told us you're willing to stay at his place with us! Oh, it's going to be so fun! Like a vacation!"

I shook my head and walked over to my bag. Everyone was so busy talking about our trip to Jake's for the next few months that nobody noticed my solemn face. No one except Jake. I was finishing with my bags when I felt his hand on the small of my back. I turned around and sighed in relief. I knew it was him, however, that fear was still there. It was a relief to see him standing there.

"You alright there, beautiful?" He whispered into my ear. I blushed and nodded. "With how crazy everyone is, would you like to drive up to my place with me?"

I tensed up. Alone, with Jake for at least an hour and a half. At any given time, he could pull the car over like Leland did that time and... Miley! Shut up! This is Jake you're talking about. I shook the thoughts and looked at Jake, who looked sad. He was probably expecting a no but he was always hoping for a yes. I laid my hand on his face and forced a grin. His eyes widened with shock at the act of intimacy I was displaying.

"I would really like that, actually. There's some things I wanted to talk to you about," I said quietly. "If that's okay with you, of course."

He raised his eyebrow. "You can talk to me about anything you need to, Hun." He put his arm around my shoulder. "Everything ok?"

I nodded. "Yeah, I just want to talk about us."

"Us?" Jake asked, his voice full of shock.

"Yes, us. You know, you and me? Jake and Miley?" I laughed

He nodded slowly. "Okay. We can do that."

_Okay, I admit it, crappy ending. However, the next chapter is the big talk! Let's see how that goes! Read and Review!_


	9. Chapter 6

_A huge apology for the incredible lateness of this. Life happened and I wasn't able to get much writing in. Things seemed to have settled down so let's hope I can get back into the grove. I know I promised sneak peeks and I am sorry. I haven't been on my computer at all so I haven't had the chance_

_Here is Chapter 6, enjoy!_

**Chapter 6**

_**Jake's POV**_

It was three in the afternoon by the time we finally got out of the hospital. I can't even begin to describe how it felt to be out of that place. Everyone was now informed on how to get to my place and was piled into different vehicles. Miley and I followed Tiny to where my Journey and Tiny's Cadillac was parked in silence.

"A Cadillac?" Miley asked, slightly shocked. "I never imagined you were the type to drive anything that wasn't a Maserati."

I laughed. "That's Tiny's. Mine is the Dodge."

"Crazy man say what?" Miley exclaimed.

"I told you I'm not the same," I responded as I unlocked the Journey and waved bye to Tiny. "I sold all the other cars. I have this and a Caliber."

Miley climbed inside and looked around her. A small smirk spread across her face. "It's so average, something I never expected from Jake Ryan."

"You're right," I said as I turned the vehicle over. "This is totally not something Jake Ryan, movie star would drive, and however, it's perfect for normal guy Leslie Ryan."

"You are going by Leslie now?"

"No," I said sternly causing her to chuckle. "I've just gone back to my roots, per say."

"I can tell," said Miley, doing up her seatbelt. "I like it."

I smiled as I pulled out of the parking lot towards the Highway. Miley was content as she fiddled with the sirus satellite radio and iPod connector. I drove in a comfortable silence as Miley listened to whatever music she felt like; I simply loved having her around. I was terrified about the conversation she wanted to have with me but decided not to push it until she was ready. Before leaving, Lilly told me not to stress myself out over it. I was trying not too but it was proving to be an impossible task.

We were approaching Barrie when my favourite song came onto the iPod. I smiled as I slowly turned it up. This was the one song that reminded me the most of Miley in every way. I forgot Miley was in the car as I lost myself into the beginning of the song...

"_When I see you smile, tears roll down my face. I can't explain, and now that I'm strong I have figured out how this world turns cold and breaks through my soul and I know I'll find deep inside me I can be the one._"

"You can sing?" Miley exclaimed slamming me back into reality. I blushed profusely. "You sang on Zombie High once and it didn't sound anything like THAT."

"I purposely sung badly for the comedic value of it," I admitted trying to hide the blush. "I don't sing often but I always love singing this one."

"It's a beautiful song," she mused.

"You know I'm yours, right?" I asked with a serious smile on my face. "Every word of that song is true."

She looked down at the floor. "I don't deserve that, Jake."

"You do."

"Jake..." She paused, hesitating her words. "I want to be with you I just do not feel like it would be fair to you. You deserve to have someone who can love you freely without limits. I don't know how long it's going to take me to be ready for something serious," I continued listening to Miley as I got off the highway and pulled into the Wal-Mart Supercentre. "It could take years and I don't want you to have to wait that long, it's not fair. I..."

I pulled into a parking space, took off my seat belt and turned to her. "Miley, listen to me, I don't care how long it takes, I am not leaving your side unless you want me too. I am sure as hell never going to want to even look at another woman for as long as I live. You want a friend? I'm it. You need a boyfriend? I'm there. You need a lover? I'm willing. I don't care what you want from me, just take it."

"I don't know what I am ready for right now," she whispered as tears began to form.

I gently ran my hand down the side of her face. "What does your heart tell you that you want right now?"

"I want you to kiss me," she whispered as she moved a little closer to me. "I want to kiss you whenever I want, as much as I want."

I smiled and cupped her face. "I can do that."

I pulled her into me and gently kissed her. Feeling her lips on mine was sending me into a new level of heaven. I was surprised when she pulled me deeper into the kiss. There was a sense of desperation in her kiss, one I could understand. Miley continued to try to make the kisser deeper, more intense. Her hands were in my hair, on my face, my neck and it was amazing. I felt something wet against my cheek and I immediately pulled away. I looked at Miley; the tears that had formed earlier were now flowing freely from her face.

"Oh baby, what's wrong?" I asked as I kissed her tear stained cheeks.

"When you kiss me.. I feel loved," said Miley through tears. "Leland's kisses were rough, forceful. Like he was claiming me. It always got worse before he'd..."

She couldn't finish her sentence. She broke down into a heart-quenching sob on my chest. I rubbed her back, whispering I loved her and I would always be there for her. Watching her fall apart like this killed me. I wanted nothing more than to get myself arrested, locked in prison so I could kill that son of a bitch. This was the first time Miley had ever opened up to me at all, about what happened to her when she was with Leland. I knew what happened, that was obvious, but she had never spoken of anything regarding it to me. I held her until her sobs settled down. Miley leaned up, placed a hot, yet tender kiss on my neck that sent a wonderful sensation through my body and looked at me. Her bruises were almost completely gone but the torment was still etched into her eyes.

"You're too amazing." She choked out. "Is there anything that'll make you run from me?"

I cocked an eyebrow at her and smirked. "Nothing scares Jake Ryan! Nothing could ever frighten or intimidate me enough to leave your side."

"What about Leslie?"

I held onto her shoulders in the gentlest way and looked into her eyes. "Only thing he's afraid of is losing you."

Miley's eyes searched mine for what seems like forever. She was looking for even the slightest sign that I was being dishonest with her. She finally pulled me into her and gave me the most gentle of kisses. No force, no lust, just love.

"I love you, Miley." I whispered after we pulled apart. She leaned her head against mine and smiled. "Don't worry; I don't expect you to say anything back. I know you love me but you don't want to say anything until you're ready."

"Thank you." Was all she said.

I know most people wouldn't understand why she wouldn't just tell me she loved me if she did. Miley is the type that won't say it unless she means it and can willingly give her heart, mind and soul to someone. I had it at one point and time but Leland had destroyed that. I was making progress with her and the last thing I ever wanted to do was jeopardize it.

I gave her a chance to fix herself in the mirror. I never understood why women always have to check their hair and makeup a million times a day, but if it made her happy then so be it. When she was finally finished, the two of us headed towards the entrance. Miley surprised me when she grabbed my hand and walked so that our arms were touching. It was a wonderful feeling having her so close to me; a feeling I truly missed.

We took our time as we gathered the essentials and really just enjoyed each other's company. Miley lead us into the electronics and began looking around. She paused when she came to an area with a bunch of Hannah Montana items, all at discounted prices, and frowned. I knew she missed Hannah; just with everything that had happened these past few months, I wasn't sure what her plans were regarding that. Her father had recently gone on record to discuss that Hannah had needed a break to deal with some personal issues. Some critics were saying her time was up and stood no chance at a successful come back. I think Miley believed that as well, I, however, did not. Hannah had some incredibly loyal fans that would follow her through anything.

"Excuse me?" Someone asked from behind us. We both sprung around to come face to face with a young blonde girl who was thirteen at the oldest. "Are you a Hannah fan?"

She was talking to Miley. "Yes, I am. A rather big one, actually." I smiled at that response. "Why?"

The girl shuffled her feet. "So am I. I wish she would return to her music. I know everyone thinks she went spastic like Jake Ry... Oh my god!" She exclaimed quietly looking at me. "You're Jake Ryan!"

I laughed. "Yes, I am."

She turned to Miley. "You must be Miley Stewart then. I heard about what happened on the news... It doesn't go into detail but wow, you guys have been through quite the ordeal."

Miley looked down and cringed. I put a reassuring arm on her back and smiled at the young girl. "Yes, we have."

She looked at me. "I know you're friends with Hannah and if you could please tell her that no matter what, her fan club will always stand behind her, we would all appreciate it." She said softly.

Miley's head rose at that comment and I could see the sparkle in her eye that had been missing before. The girl took a good, long, hard look at Miley before shaking her head.

"I'm sorry, Miss Stewart, but has anyone ever told you that you look a lot like Hannah?" Miley blushed. "It's amazing, actually. You're not related to her, are you?" Miley shook her head no. "Wow. Well, with blonde hair you'd look like her twin." She looked up at me. "I'm sorry. Would it be possible to get a picture with you two?"

I looked at Miley, who smiled. "Yeah, sure."

The girl took her place in between us and handed me the camera. I took the photo of us and handed the camera back to her.

"Thank you so much!" The girl exclaimed happily. "It means so much to me. By the way, Jake, I really think you should go back into acting. Taylor Lautner is dominating the teen scene and he can't act nearly as well as you are. Plus with how much you've obviously been working out you could totally give him a run for his money."

I laughed; thinking about what Lilly had said the day I was shot before leaving Muskoka. "Well, thank you. I promise I'll return to acting when Hannah returns to her music."

Miley's head shot up to me in surprise. The girl smiled and thanked us again as she ran off with her mother. Miley just kept staring at me. I kissed the top of her head and continued into the game section.

"Leslie Jacob Ryan!" Miley exclaimed in a loud whisper. "I thought you quit the business! Not that I'm not happy as hell that you want to return but what was that all about?"

"I am not going to do something I love unless you're doing something you love," I stated. "I am not going to even think about my career until yours is up and going again."

Miley shook her head. "I don't even know what to do with Hannah anymore."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, Hannah was from a more simple time of my life." She sighed. "I don't know if I want to be Hannah anymore. Maybe I just want to be Miley."

I looked at her surprised. "I thought you enjoyed the normalcy?"

"Please, what kind of 'normal' life will I have when I marry Jake Ryan?"

I stopped dead in my tracks. Did she just say 'when I marry Jake Ryan?' Please oh please don't let my heart be playing a cruel joke on me. Miley must have caught what she said because she had let go of my hand and was now looking away from me, embarrassed. I couldn't hide the smile that had found it spreading across my face. Miley knew deep down she wanted to spend the rest of her life with me.

That gave me the strength I needed to get through anything fate threw our way.

I hope you all liked that ending. I did Miley's POV is up next. Please read and review and this time I **PROMISE** that sneak peeks will be given out to **EVERYONE** who read and reviews (those who have already will get one).


	10. Chapter 7

I have to take a moment to thank everyone who has taken the time to review this story. It really does mean the world to me. I have never gotten this far into any fanfic without giving up so thank you. I really hope you are all enjoying it. To everyone who reviewed, you are getting a sneak peak of the next chapter today. Sorry about falling behind, life has been crazy.

Chapter 7

Miley's POV

I cannot believe I just said that! Way to not think before you speak Miley! I had to get away from Jake as fast as I could. After saying that, anything that could come out of my mouth would only hurt him. He didn't deserve that. I made it to the car and leaned against it. Jake was probably inside paying for everything and being as wonderful as he is, letting me have my meltdown. For what? For telling him that yeah, I want him for the rest of my life? What was so wrong about that? Oh yeah. I don't trust him, or anyone for that matter. Not exactly grounds for a lasting relationship. I let my body sink against the card when the car honked twice, started then unlocked. I smiled and stood up. I couldn't see Jake anywhere which meant he was probably at the cash and didn't want me to roast in 104 degree weather. I was used to living in hot weather but the thing about Ontario is that it's never just hot, it's incredibly humid. So I slid inside the car and welcomed the air conditioner with open arms. I fell onto the back of the bucket seats and sighed happily. I closed my eyes, wanting to forget what I had said. It wasn't that I didn't mean what I had said to him it is just I had no idea where life was taking me. I didn't know how I would feel a week from now let alone twenty years down the road. There was no doubt that I was crazy in love with Jake but I couldn't just string him along. No one deserved that, especially not Jake. I knew he was 'the one' for me but to expect him to deal with my baggage his whole life was just too much. He deserved so much better than that.

I heard the trunk open, sending me back to reality. I sighed and began to head out of the vehicle when Jake told me to stay in the car and keep cool. I smiled; he was always so considerate and always looking out for me. He got into the car without missing a beat, put his seatbelt on, put the key in the ignition and pulled out of the parking spot with ease. He was beaming - I knew my slip up had made his decade. I smiled and turned my head to look out the window as the world passed us by.

We drove to Bala, Ontario in absolute silence. It was a peaceful silence with no hint of awkwardness. I was amazed with my surroundings; it reminded me of the small town of Crowley Corners back home, just without the farms. With the town behind us, we drove passed more forests. As made it around a bend in the road, I gasped at the site - it was breath taking.

"Want to stop to take a look?" Jake asked as he pulled the car onto the side of the road. I nodded. "Let me just grab my camera."

I leaped from the vehicle enthusiastically as Jake pulled a semi large camera bag from behind his seat and started assembling it. I walked over to him and raised my eyebrow.

"That's some camera," I stated as he picked it up. It was a lot like the ones photographers use at her shoots.

"I've always loved photography," he smiled. "My cousin Rickie is a photographer and when I was eleven, she taught me how to use a SLR then again when the DSLR's became standard. This beauty is the same one she uses, it's the Canon 5D Mark II, and arguably the best money can buy."

"It's huge!" I laughed. He handed it to me and I laughed harder. It has a large while lens on it that. "Can you teach me how to use one of these things some day?"

He smiled. "I thought you'd say that at some point so," he went into the trunk and pulled out a white and orange bag that said Henry's. He pulled out a box that said Rebel across it. "I got my mom to pick you up a good beginner camera. Something like mine is a little overwhelming if you don't know what you're doing. This is the T2i, best of the Rebel line and used by many armature and semi-pro photographers. Rickie uses it as her spare body at Weddings and it's held its own quite well. It's perfect for you."

I smiled. What a sweetheart. "You didn't have too," I said as I looked at the box. "Teach me tonight?"

He smiled and kissed my forehead. I wrapped my arms around him and nestled my head into his chest. I knew I was blessed to have someone like him in my life. This photography stuff was a hobby of his and he cared enough to think a head and include me.

"Come on, let's take a look at this lake your so fascinated with," he said as he grabbed my wrist and lead me across the deserted street to a rail that prevented people from going over.

It was beautiful. It was a smallish lake with forests surrounding it. Along the sides of it was a railroad track that travelled for miles beyond this piece of tranquility. There was only a single building on the lake, right beside the road.

"This is where many locals come to learn how to wakeboard."

I looked at him and smiled as he took a photo of the area. "Have you taken any lessons?"

He shook his head. "I have not. I was thinking of seeing if anyone else was interested and either book of a few sessions or see if one of the cottagers on my lake is interested. He owns the Cranberry Marsh and his family are champion wake boarders."

"A cranberry marsh?" I asked, he nodded. "Is that why the sign said Bala was the Cranberry capital of Ontario?"

"I think so," he stated. "They have a festival every year. It's always the weekend after thanksgiving. My mom brought me there when I was a little kid and loved it. We always talked about getting a vacation home here but my career always got in the way. I found the cottage I'm in now by accident. I came up here to buy my mom some of the wine she loves from the Marsh and the real estate agent was just putting the sign up for the open house. I drove to the property, took one look at it and told them I'd take it. I didn't even see the inside. The real estate agent laughed at me and told me to bring back my parents. Her boss was there and she nearly got fired. He looked at me and knew who I was - I signed the papers an hour later."

"Jake Ryan always gets what he wants," I smiled.

He smirked, that confident almost egotistical smirk I know all too well. "Perhaps I do."

I laughed. I heard the camera snap a picture and laughed even harder. "You better delete that if I look bad."

"You could never look bad," Jake stated as I blushed. "Let's get going, I can't wait to show you the place."

I nodded and followed Jake back to the car. "How far is the cottage?"

"Five minutes," he stated as he turned over the engine.

We drove in silence as anticipation filled me. We drove onto a dirt road that literally went through the centre of the forest. We turned into another road that was all natural. Any wrong movement of the car and we'd either be in the smallish ditches or become part of the trees. How a vehicle that was any bigger than a smart car could drive through here was amazing.

"Is this why you sold your fancy cars?"

He smirked. "Partly, many of them were too low for these roads. It can be very bumpy sometimes and if a car isn't high enough off the ground, it could do some very serious damage."

I nodded. I went to say something but was caught short by the sight of a large building surrounded by nature. I was at a loss for words. I stepped out of the car, unaware that people were calling my name. I was so transfixed by the sight before me that the world just disappeared.

Jake's POV

"We're here!" I called as I got out of the car.

My mom came running from the car with an apron around her waist and a smile on her face. She wrapped her arms around me happily, being careful about hurting me.

"Come on, Miley, let me show you around," I said with a smile on my face. No response. "Miley?"

I glanced over towards where she was standing and smiled. She looked lost in her own world as her eyes explored the area surrounding her. Judging by the sparkle in her eye, she was happy. She began to walk around, exploring her new world in silence. Lilly and Oliver came outside and laughed when they saw Miley.

"Why don't you go inside and rest up? I got her," Lilly suggested. I nodded and motioned to Oliver to give me a hand with the stuff from Wal-Mart.

"You've got an awesome place here, dude," Oliver stated. "Thanks for letting us stay here."

"It's no problem," I replied with a smile as I grabbed a few bags. "You're being nice to me, I kind of like it."

Oliver laughed. "Yeah, well, despite all the times you hurt Miley, taking a bullet for her kinds trumps all that. I got to respect that. Besides, you never been nothing but nice to any of us despite how much of a hard time we have given you."

"Thanks for turning over a new leaf," I said as I nodded appreciatively to my mom as she held the door open for us. "I really do just want to be friends with you and Lilly."

"I know," Oliver replied softly

We made our way into the main room where everyone was sitting. I got the usual greetings and questions of how I was from each person before I was finally able to escape for a few minutes. I went into my room with my camera and closed the door. I turned to face my bed when everything hit me. My bedroom was in the exact same condition it was when I went with Lilly to Toronto. Not a single article was touched. I took a deep breath and laid my camera beside my Mac and opened it up. The system came to life. I checked my e-mail, amazed at the abundance of get well soon letters from fans I was sure had forgotten about me, notifications of follows on twitter and the like. It had seemed that in my absence, the incident with Leland and Miley had thrusted me into the spot light once again. What interested me the most was a letter from my agent.

Jake,

I attempted to visit you while you were in the hospital in Toronto; however, they would not let me anywhere near you. You cell has also been disconnected from what I am gathering. What a way to revive your career son! I could not pay for this kind of publicity if I tried. You're a wanted man, Jake. Give me a call as soon as you can. Michael Bay wants you in his latest Transformers movie.

Talk to you soon

Rob.

I sat there for a moment, taking the information in. Transformer's was a huge opportunity for me. It would definitely give my career a second chance and you didn't need to be a movie guru to know I needed one.

"You should take it," Miley said from the doorway. "That'll be huge for you."

My eyes lit up at the sight of her. I closed my laptop, ran to the door and wrapped my arms around her. Having her close to me was something I would never get tired of.

"I don't know," I replied into her hair. "There are many reasons why I am probably going to decline it."

Miley pulled away from me and looked quite angry. "Why would you do that? You need this!"

She was yelling at me, I could not believe it. "For one, I probably won't feel physically up to it for a few months at least. Plus, the more I think about leaving the more I don't think I can. When we were together before, I barely ever saw you and missed out on so much. I've also been thinking about going to school and getting a real job. Maybe be a Drama Teacher or something."

"I don't see you being a teacher," Miley smirked as she walked into my bedroom. "This is beautiful, heck, this whole house is."

"Thank you," I blushed. "I always hoped you'd like it."

She sat down on my bed and bounced on it for a second. "It's incredible. Did you know there's a pond by the front door and in the kitchen?"

I laughed. "Yeah, I may have noticed." I sat down beside her. "How are you feeling?"

"Are you really going to give up this movie?" Miley asked her voice quiet.

I nodded. "Yes and no it is not open for discussion. Just let me enjoy my time with you."

What Miley did next, was not something I would have ever expected. She wrapped her arms around my neck and pulled me into her. Her lips pressed into mine with a sense of urgency and need. I lost myself in her lips, allowing all my emotions flow freely. We fell back onto the bed and our kiss became even more intense. I was in a blissful state of heaven; Miley and I had made out before and god knows how much I missed it. I was so lost in the moment that I failed to realize that Miley had unbuttoned my shirt, leaving my chest and stomach totally exposed. I pulled her closer to me, her body pressed against mine. It was sending feeling through me that I hadn't quite felt before. Miley's next action sent me crashing into reality. Her hand had found my belt buckle and was working on undoing it. No matter how much I wanted it, how much I craved her, this couldn't happen. Not now, not like this.

"Miley," I gasped pulling away from her. "We can't do this."

She halted her attack on my neck and became stiff. She pulled away and looked at me; the hurt in her eyes would forever be etched into my mind.

"Yes, we can," she whispered. "I want to do this."

I sat up and ran my hand through her beautiful brown locks. "Miley, I love you, more than anything else in this world. I want nothing more than be as close to you as two people can be, but this isn't the right time. You still have internal injuries that need to heal and..."

She stood up, tears in her eyes and began to walk towards the door. She stopped as she approached the cherry wood door and stared at me. "Save it, Jake. I know what this is about. This isn't because of internal injuries or anything of the sort, I'm just damaged goods and you want nothing to do with me. I can't blame you; I mean who would want to be with a whore, right?"

"Miley!" I called after her as she ran from my room, tears flowing from her eyes. Once I realized I was not going to be able to catch her thanks to the searing pain in my back, I punched the wall beside me. "God damnit!"

I leaned against the wall and let the tears find my eyes.

"Jake?" Robbie Ray's voice asked, sounding anything but pleased. "What the Kentucky is going on around here?"

"Miley..." I said before I collapsed onto the floor. My mom came up beside me and wrapped her arms around me, whispering to me to tell her what happened. "We were and I stopped her and she thinks I don't..."

"Oh, sweetheart," my mom whispered looking up at Robbie and Lilly, who had just come upstairs. "Lilly dear, can you go check on Miley for us?"

Lilly nodded, "Yeah, I'll try and get it through her head, ok Jake?"

I forced out a nod. Robbie Ray was looking at us with a completely dumbfounded look on his face.

"What's going on?" Robbie Ray asked.

My mom sighed as she continued to rub my back. "Miley and Jake were kissing in Jake's room and she attempted to take it further and he stopped it. She now thinks that Jake doesn't want her because of what happened."

"Sweet niblets," Robbie said before he disappeared from the hall.

"I've lost her, mom," I sobbed into her small frame. "I know I have."

"It'll work out, Leslie," she whispered lovingly. "I promise."

_A sadder ending this time. This is where the story will get a little more complicated. It's hard getting over what Miley went through and sometimes things like this will happen. Keep reading and you'll see what happens. Don't worry Jiley fans, this could just be a minor set back. The next chapter will be split up into two parts. The first will be very short. The second will be more elaborate. _


	11. Chapter 8

_To all my fans…_

_I am *SO* sorry that I wasn't able to get this out sooner. My son fell very ill and he was main priority. I practically lived at the hospital with him and with all my worry, I wasn't able to bring myself to write. Things are better now and my son is back to perfect health so I will be able to write again __ I missed this story so much! To everyone who has continued to support this story, THANK YOU. It means the world to me._

_I hope all my wonderful readers haven't disappeared yet._

**Chapter 8**

**Miley's POV**

_Waiting for the end to come wishing I had strength to stand  
this was not what I had planned  
It's out of my control  
Flying at the speed of light  
thoughts were spinning in my head  
__**"Waiting for the End" – Linkin Park**_

Talk about utter humiliation. Jake had wanted nothing more than to be with me and then when I gave him that chance he throws me aside like I am nothing but damaged goods. I cannot say I am entirely surprised by this really, I _am_ damaged goods. He was a virgin and me? I was a whore who had been a pin cushion for months- I had even been pregnant. Who could possibly want me after that?

I thought that Jake might but I didn't realize how wrong I was. I knew this whole thing with him was just an act. He didn't want my death on his conscience, that's why he took the bullet for me. We all knew this whole thing was a publicity stunt for him to revive his career and it was working. Good for him. I hope he has a long lasting career. I'm just devastated that I won't be there to see any of it. I wouldn't be around to see much of what anyone does.

I locked myself up in my suite and went straight for the bathroom. I started a bath, stripped down and went for the sleeping pills the hospital gave me for when the nightmares got to be too much. I took one, knowing that was all I needed to fall asleep and climbed into the bath. Once high enough, I turned off the water, closed my eyes and waiting for sleep to find me.

Was this a hasty decision? Yes but it had to be done. Nobody wanted me and I couldn't bear to see anyone suffer because of me anymore. I whispered I love you to everyone as sleep found me and I began to sink into the water...

**Lilly's POV**

Poor Jake, poor Miley. Jake never wanted to hurt Miley but in this situation, he had too. We all knew how Miley would have felt if Jake had gone all the way with her. She would have felt dirty, used, like the only thing a guy ever needed from her was sex. That was the last thing Jake meant to make her feel and the last thing he wanted from her. If he had to remain celibate the rest of his life yet got to hold Miley, then it was a sacrifice he was willing to make.

I knocked on Miley's door only to receive no answer. I heard the bath running and sighed with relief. She probably just wanted to relax. I went to turn around when I heard the water shut off. A feeling of dread passed through me that I don't think I could ever explain. I tried opening the door but it was locked. I took a deep breath and prayed Jake would forgive me as I slammed my small frame against it, knocking it open.

I hurried into the suite towards the bathroom. A single look at Miley sent a scream escaping from my lips.

"Miley!"

**Jake's POV**

Lilly's scream ripped through the house like we were all trapped within a bad horror movie. I was out of my mother's arms and into Miley's suite on the other side of the house in a matter of seconds. The sight before me was enough to stop anyone's heart. Lilly was submerged in the bath water, trying to pull Miley's limp body from the water. I raced over and in a swift movement, pulled her out of the water and onto the floor. I quickly searched for signs of breathing and a heartbeat – they were both present. Lilly had gotten some towels to cover Miley up and keep her warm. Thankfully, Miley had not been under water long enough to do any damage. I sighed in relief.

"Damnit Miley," I whispered as I held her body against mine, keeping her wrapped up. "You're going to be the death of me."

"What happened?" My mother asked as she came busting into the room. "Oh dear."

"She's alright," Lilly whispered as she finished counting the pills on the counter. "She only took one sleeping pill. I don't think she realized it would take effect so fast."

"Yeah, that's it," I whispered knowing the truth. Miley tried ending her life and it was my fault.

Lilly and my mom calmly took everyone outside and explained to everyone what had happened. Robbie Ray nearly freaked out and Jackson tried strangling me but Oliver was able to contain him. At some point, Rico showed up so the two of them were out and about with Sienna. I was in the room with Miley, alone. I wrapped her up in a housecoat and got her comfortably wrapped up in her bed. I lay on top of the blankets and kept a small distance between us. If she never wanted to talk to me again I would understand, though tonight, I wanted to make sure she was alright.

It was dark out when I finally opened my eyes again. I glanced over at the digital clock beside Miley and groaned lightly, it was 3:56am. I tried to get comfortable enough to fall back asleep, however, I failed miserably. I sighed and slipped off the bed. I decided Miley was okay for a few hours as long as I took anything dangerous from her surroundings. I cursed myself wondering if the rooms had been split up alright - I hoped my mom handled that for me. After removing anything even remotely dangerous, I stumbled out of Miley's room and headed down the hall towards mine. Once inside I threw off my clothes and headed towards the bathroom for a much needed shower. As I walked passed my desk, I noticed a handwritten note taped to the shelf. I picked it up, instantly recognizing my mom's writing.

_Leslie,_

_When I came up to check on the two of you, you were both sleeping like little angels so I decided to leave you be. I've allotted everyone into appropriate rooms. The main floor has Robbie and his girlfriend, Lilly and Oliver and me while the pool house has Jackson, Sienna. Rico is on the sofa for the night. Tiny wanted a tent; he says he'd be able to keep an eye on you kids better that way. Jessie went back to California, his dad is coming in from a tour of duty and he wanted to be there. Oliver has to leave sometime tomorrow as does Sienna. Tomorrow everything is being moved around again; Lilly will remain inside with Robbie and myself while Jackson and Rico share the pool house. If this arrangement isn't OK we can make changes as needed. As for Miley, I know what really happened. The poor girl is going through a great deal right now and sometimes in these situations, girls react a lot like she is. She's looking for comfort and acceptance as well as a way to kill the pain. She will get through this, I know she will. Tomorrow morning she may hate you or she'll thank you but know that you did the right thing. As for her attempt at taking her own life - she's in pain, it's normal yet worrisome, I understand. I have seen it many times in my line of work. I have called her therapist and she is coming by first thing tomorrow morning with her son. I told her I would not mind keeping an eye on him while she works with Miley. Keep your head up son; Miley has come so far in such a short time. The love you two share for one another will pull you through anything. I'm proud of the man you have grown into - I hope you know that. _

_Love you son,_

_Mom. _

I smiled and placed the letter back onto the desk. I could always count on my mom to bring light into my world, no matter how dark of a day it may be. I walked into the bathroom and climbed into my shower, letting the hot water beat down on my cold, tired body. The heat penetrated every orifice of my skin, covering me in a warm, comforting blanket. It was in that moment the reality of everything that has happened hit me full force. For the first time since leaving the hospital, the full extent of the pain I was in from the injuries hit me. I leaned against the wall of the shower for support and freed my emotions.

I came out of the bathroom almost forty five minutes feeling slightly more human than I had before. I knew though that if I didn't take some of my pain killers I wouldn't be able to get up again once I was sitting down. I grabbed the percs out of my hospital duffle bag and snickered. My bag was empty from clothes meaning my mom took it upon herself to do my laundry for me. I popped one of the pills into my mouth and took a huge mouthful of water.

I eventually found myself outside on my private deck away from the world. The water of Medora Lake was calm and serene. The leaves around me were turning all sorts of beautiful colors. The sounds of chirping, hooting and the like were somehow relaxing. For a few moments, I was able to escape reality and pretend that recent events were all just a dream.

"It's beautiful out here, isn't it?"

I nearly jumped from my lounge chair and spun around to see Miley standing in the the small opening the sliding doors left. She was wearing a black pair of sweatpants that were rather baggy with a large purple and blue 'P' on the top right thigh and a black tank top. The extent of her bruises had gone significantly, however, the soft light of the moon revealed some cuts and bruises that time had yet to take away from her.

"Hey Miley," I said sweetly

"I woke up and noticed you weren't there. I had a quick shower and came looking for you," she said as she took another step towards the outside. "I hope you don't mind."

I shook my head, "Of course I don't mind, Miles. You look cold, let me grab you a sweater."

I disappeared for a moment, returning with a Toronto Maple Leafs hoodie that was easily two sizes too big for her small frame. She pulled it on and looked down at the large white maple leaf, a laugh escaping her sweet lips.

"Getting into Canadian culture now?" She asked. "Hockey? Really?"

I laughed, leading her to the other lounge chair on the deck. "I used to play hockey, you know. I learned how to play when I was ten for a role and I would get on the ice for a pickup game whenever I could. I am considering joining one of the adult leagues in Muskoka this winter."

"I knew you were in a hockey movie but I had no idea you actually enjoyed it," she stated, "Jackson, Oliver and Rico watch it a lot. I know nothing about the sport."

"I can always teach you about it if you'd like. You don't have to play but I can at least teach you the basics to understand the game."

"You know, I'd really enjoy that," she gave me a genuine smile. At least she didn't hate me. "Jake... About earlier..."

"Miley I'm..."

"Let me, please?" I nodded in response. "Thank you. You're right; it was neither the time nor the place for that to happen. Sometimes the pain and the memories just get so bad I want to do anything to kill it. When I am with you, the pain lessens so much to a point I can_ almost_ forget it. I guess at that moment I thought that if you and I went that far, I could just suffocate the memories of Leland and what he did to me. Then afterwards, I felt rejected, dirty. I couldn't stand feeling like that. I honestly felt like you were disgusted by me and I couldn't live with that."

"Miley, I could never be disgusted by you." I whispered as I kneeled down in front of her. I gathered her hands with mine and stared deeply into her eyes. "What happened to you Miley was horrible and I would never blame you. I know you never wanted it. I don't know what I need to do to prove it but I am never leaving your side. Not until I am six feet under or you send me away. I_ love_ you; I have loved you since middle school and haven't stopped."

Tears were in her eyes; she looked as if she was having an epic internal battle with herself. She leaned into me and rested her head on my shoulder. We stayed like this for a few moments, just enjoying the blissful silence between us.

"Can we watch a movie or something together?" She whispered softly

"Sure, we can do whatever you want. We can go into the lounge in the basement."

"No," she stated quickly. "Can we watch one in your room? I'd rather just be able to stay close to you."

"Of course," I responded with a smile as I led her into my room, "would you like some popcorn sweetheart?

"I'd love some."

I nodded and walked out of the room towards the kitchen. Much to my surprise, Rico and Jackson were sitting at the island eating what looked like pizza and quietly laughing amongst themselves.

"Hey guys," I whispered as I approached them. "Couldn't sleep?"

Jackson shook his head. "Naw. Sienna just left in her limo a little while ago. I'm just too blah to go back to sleep."

I nodded, remembering all the times I had to leave very early in the morning for work. "You alright dude?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine," he replied with sadness in his voice. "How's Miley?"

"She's OK," I replied as I put a bag of popcorn in both of the microwaves. "She woke up recently and came looking for me. I was outside on my balcony and we talked. Neither one of us can sleep so we're going to watch a movie."

Jackson shot me a look. "I almost hanged you today."

I turned around to look at him. "I heard. Thanks for not actually going through with that."

"As funny as it would have been, I told him what happened. I was upstairs looking for you to let you know I was here and overheard everything," said Rico.

"Thanks for not taking advantage of my sister," said Jackson with a quiet tone. "It shows you actually do love her and I have to respect you for doing that."

"Dude!" Rico exclaimed almost a little too loudly. "The guy took a bullet for her! If you ask me, the guy deserves a medal or something."

I smirked as I poured the bags into a bowl and waited for the margarine to melt.

"How did you find out anyway? You knew when I called you..."

"It has been all over the news," Rico explained to Jackson. "Jake Ryan the real life hero, saves ex-girlfriend Miley Stewart from crazy boyfriend - takes bullet and nearly dies. I freaked out when I first heard it. I spent hours trying to find out until you called me."

"Rico has a heart!" Jackson exclaimed sarcastically. "I never thought I'd live to see the day!"

"You won't be alive much longer if you don't can it, Jackson," Rico snapped back.

I grabbed the bowl and shook my head laughing at the two of them. I was heading towards the stairs when I heard muffled voices and crying coming from the back of the house. I walked over to the door to see Lilly and Oliver lost in a tearful embrace as Tiny threw Oliver's bags into his car. I looked down at floor, sadness filling me. I watched as Oliver got into the car and drove off. Lilly leaned against the door way as a fresh batch of tears found their way out. I sat the popcorn on a nearby table and walked over to Lilly, kneeling down in front of her. I placed my hand on her shoulder and she glanced up at me with the saddest eyes before jumping into my arms. I hugged her back, rubbing her back, trying to soothe her.

"It's ok, Lilly," I whispered softly. "He's only gone for a week or two. They're just polishing off some tracks for the record."

"I know," she sobbed. "I just hate it when he leaves. I hate it when he goes away."

"It's OK, Lil. Absence makes the heart grow fonder." I stated. "Oliver loves you so much. He will always find his way back to you."

She nodded into my shirt. "You're right."

"Miley and I are going to watch a movie upstairs would you like to join us?"

Lilly shook her head. "No, I want to just go climb into my bed and forget the world for a while. Thanks though."

I helped Lilly to her feet and gave her one last hug before she descended back into the house. I then quickly made my way through the living room, grabbing the popcorn as I passed and headed up the stairs. Once I made it to my room, I found Miley sitting on my bed, flipping through a photo album. I knew instantly the one that she had. It was filled with photographs from middle school when Miley and I began dating right through to the weekend I flew in to help with the Christmas special.

"I can't believe you have all these pictures," she said as she turned the page. "God, this was so long ago."

I sat down on the bed, glancing down at the page. It was filled with pictures from the date I famously screwed up by putting on a wig and attempting to be normal.

"God, I was such a clueless idiot," I laughed. "I had no idea what it meant to be normal."

"But you did try," she stated. "It just wasn't something for you."

"I know," I replied kissing her forehead. "I love these pictures. I loved spending time with you Lilly and Oliver - even if they hated me."

"Didn't matter if they hated you," Miley said sweetly looking up at me. "I was in love with you."

I smiled but cringed inside at the past tense _was_. I laid another gentle kiss onto of her head before her lips met mine. This was probably the single most gentle kiss I had ever experienced in my life. It was filled with love and tenderness.

"I never stopped loving you," Miley whispered in an almost inaudible voice. "I love you so much it hurts. I want to be with you I am just terrified."

Please don't let me be dreaming!

I put my head against hers and smiled. Tears were inevitably building up in my eyes. I had been waiting a very long time to hear Miley saw those words again and now that she had, my mind was on fire. I knew deep down she could change her mind at any second but frankly, at that moment, I didn't care.

"I love you, too Miley Stewart," I whispered through tears. "More than you'll ever know."

_Okay everybody, all together now... Awwww!_

_There's a happier ending for you all. This is long from being over... There's still lots of twists and turns for our favorite couple. Now, I am considering ending this particular story and continuing with a sequel. Possibly starting a more complex, long series. What does everyone think about that?_


End file.
